In corporate and educational settings, risk-management is often employed to ensure that activities or plans operate within the acceptable limits of risk. It is important to take risks, but most would err on the side of caution. Today's Gospel gives us a different perspective. In the Parable of the Talents, the first two men were daring and took risks in investing their master's money, reaping rich rewards. The third one chose to take what he thought was the safe route and buried the money. He was chastised and punished for this even though the money was returned safely. He might find much agreement with modern risk-management consultants, but the life of faith is quite different.

We fail in the spiritual life not when we take risks and fail; we fail when fear keeps us from doing anything at all. That's what the Lord was criticising about the third man - not making use of his talents and resources because of fear. And perhaps a slight change in terminology might help here too. Risk in our spiritual life isn't about doing dangerous or uncertain things, but it's all about trusting in God's providence and allowing God to play a larger role in our lives. That's what the first two men did - they had trust in God and this led to them reaping large rewards. We too can reap large rewards in our lives, spiritual or otherwise, if we choose to give God a bigger space in our lives.