Where Is Eden?

Talents, Talents And Pounds To Dollars...

We think of ‘talents’ as a form of creativity like singing, acting, painting, a natural gift or ability …But 2,000 years ago a ‘talent’ was a form of currency.

Once upon a time in early “Eden” [but several decades after Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel] ‘currency’ in many forms on this newly ‘minted’ planet was much simpler…Which wouldn’t take much if you spend any time watching stocks and finance on CNBC. Anyway, several millennia ago people traded. Clan-Moon traded what they hunted or carved [like spears] with what Clan-Star had gathered from wild berries or fruits [you remember apple trees] and fish.

What soon complicated the trading system was when someone from a certain clan [we don’t know who - could have been a budding Democrat or a Republican or Union president or a Banker... Regardless the claim presented was that one fish from Clan-Star was not the same value as one of the spears from Clan-Moon. From that point weights and measures exploded after that - with gold and silver weighing significantly more than a debit card. Amazingly, 1 talent was equal to 20 years wages for one worker. [Wonder how unions would have delt with this?]

Moving on… One talent was a measured weight of 75 pounds in anything - gold, silver, spices didn’t matter - anything considered valuable. So, at today’s rate - 1 talent of gold is worth $142,305.75 and silver is worth $1,702.50. I have no current value for frankincense or myrrh, but I’m sure it’s ‘inflated’ too. The British pound - was far more practical and significantly lighter and based on the one-pound weight of sterling silver.

Okay - where ‘am’ I going with this? When did ‘talent’ as a form of currency become talent defined as a form of gift or ability? Surprisingly, if you understand the “Parable of The Talents”, the ancient comparison to the modern one isn’t so far apart.

I’ve taken a few liberties with Matthew… A wealthy landowner had to leave his property in the care of three servants while he is gone. To one servant, the master gives five talents, to a second servant he gives two talents, and to a third servant he gives one talent. Here, the master is entrusting his servants with a measure of his wealth, proportionate to each of their abilities.

The parable goes on to say that two of the servants, the one given five talents and the one handed two, were good stewards of their master’s money, investing it in such a way that when the master returned, they handed back double what he had originally given them. The third servant, however, was not so prudent. According to the story, the servant who received one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

When the master eventually did return, the servants who were industrious were praised and entrusted with more of the master’s wealth. The master said to each of them. “You were faithful with a few things, now I will put you in charge of many more things.”

The servant who was fearful and negligent, however, was swiftly reprimanded by his master, who called him “lazy, and idle.” His one talent was taken and given to the servant with ten talents, and the indolent servant was sent away.

And the message basically still applies. It’s the same now as it was 2,000 years ago. With valuable abilities and useful skills like baking, plumbing, dentistry, electrical, engineering, hair styling, accounting, teaching, medicine, painting, business etc… Nothing worthwhile happens if we don’t show up - if we don’t contribute. We can’t work-from home in our PJs [even writers] day after day without a dedicated, passionate investment in our ‘talents’.

Creativity is alive, whether it’s a bridge design or a song. Because valuable creativity needs to grow and expand - that does not happen if we dig a hole and hide our talent. Lethargy is not alive. One of my favorite quotes from Elbert Hubbard is “If you would get something done ask a busy man, the other kind has no time.”

Both ancient and modern Talent is translatable to our 21stCentury Dollar and if you have a trade or a degree or a self-taught gift its value has unlimited potential, but only if it’s not hidden in a hole.

Working Without A Net: BANKING IN AMERICA (workingwithnonet.blogspot.com)

Working Without A Net: RICH IN AMERICA (workingwithnonet.blogspot.com)