The most important biblical characters are known to be risk takers. Even in the midst of uncertainty, fear, and danger, they keep going. They are able to give up comfort, power, prestige and security. And they even risk their reputation, their future, and their very lives in the face of what lies ahead. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of exemplary figures from whom I can learn when it comes to taking risks.
In the Old Testament, Abraham and Moses stand out. Abraham, a better-off old man, left for an unknown place with his wife, servants, and cattle despite his advanced age and socioeconomic stability. These are valid enough reasons against any unlikely risk-taking. How the hell could he take such a risky journey into uncertainty? He could have spent the remaining days of his life in peace and comfort.
And there is Moses, the son of a Hebrew family that was rescued, nurtured and educated by the Egyptian elite and the power as their own. He was groomed to rule Egypt like the pharaohs. But his life changed when he discovered the origin of it. He saw the suffering of his own people under slavery. He suffered when he saw the oppression. He committed crimes in defense of his people and from then on his life was disproportionate. Egypt closed in on him as the sea and the desert opened up to terrifying risks. What led Moses to face innumerable risks instead of his acquired identity and all the good that Egypt had given him? He might have been better off ruling alongside the mighty pharaoh.
In the New Testament, I focus on Jesus and Paul as models of risk-taking who have impressed me greatly. Jesus, a simple son of a carpenter from Nazareth, left his hometown to announce the Kingdom of God for the benefit of the sick, the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, the prisoners and sinners to the point of breaking religious laws for them. His words and actions were messages of peace, justice and love. He even called God Abba in the same way that a Hebrew son would address his own father, something daring and blasphemous in his day. In doing so, he became a threat to the existing religious structures and ideologies imposed by the dominant religious authorities. Eventually, they killed Jesus to his relief and delight. Jesus took the risk of proclaiming what he believed to be God-given truth. What could have gone through his mind to the point of giving up his own life? He could have been safer and more respectable by following the official religious rules and prescriptions of his time.
The Jesus who took the risk and died was an inspiration and model for Paul, once a staunch defender of his religion and persecutor of Christians. His life took a sudden turn when he converted to Christ. His religion, which had given him prestige, power, and holiness, suddenly lost its charm. His ardor to persecute the followers of Jesus turned into a zeal to announce Christ within and beyond the borders of his religion and his society. He formed communities in the name of Christ. But both political and religious power were against him. As a Christian, his life was exposed to a series of risks as he faced famine, persecution, slander and, consequently, death. What made this devout Paul turn upside down and undergo all kinds of trials? He might have been safe and well in the care of his religion.
The risk takers in the Bible, especially the ones exemplified, have a lot to teach me. First, I learn that they all had a vision that was above any and all risk. The promised land and the offspring consumed Abraham. The liberation from Egyptian rule and the search for the promised land prompted Moses. The Kingdom of God was the reason for every word and action of Jesus. Living and dying for Christ made Paul run the race to the finish. The vision that captured the biblical characters is the final goal, a clear and non-negotiable destiny. The risks that are presented to them are the consequence of an option assumed before their vision. In the same way, my life projects must be guided by a vision: a clear objective or a dream that gives meaning to each and every one of the steps I take, regardless of the risks that arise along the way. The risks lose their meaning before the vision that sees me go through moments of pain and danger.
Second, I learn that any effort to take risks needs a strong sense of purpose to prevail over risks. It serves as an inner light to remind me why I’m doing what I’m doing. It inspires me to believe in my own abilities and in the people around me. And when I run out of personal resources and outside help, I have this light inside that keeps burning. We can call it courage, determination, focus or willpower that can go beyond limitations in the face of adversity. Abraham was brave in his old age. Moses was determined to lead his people to the land of the free. Jesus did what he did to inaugurate the kingdom of God on earth. Paul was focused on his mission to announce Christ among believers and non-believers. In moments of pain, anguish and rejection, they suffered and cried like any common mortal in moments of weakness. But they knew the reason for their work and pain. Risks take on new meaning because of the light that burns within.
Third, I learn that I have power over the risks God has given me. Call it faith, hope or love, this power is what propels me to victory or success. I sincerely know that my own power is limited, that I tremble at danger and sometimes lose my courage for one reason or another. I know that I am fragile and incomplete and therefore I need help. When there seems to be no way, when I’m depressed, tired and alone on this journey, and when my own strength fails me, I can rely on a backup power to guide me. My exemplary Biblical risk takers were not supermen. They were able to face the risks because of the power that God gave them. I just have to recognize this power and use it to the fullest. Paul says that he can do everything through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).
Finally, once I have the vision, the sense of mission, and God’s gift of inner strength, the rest is planning and hard work to the end. And if I do something good that goes against the ordinary, standard, popular, traditional, and official, then like Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Paul, I must be prepared to risk my comfort, reputation, safety, future, and even my life. After all, risk taking is not a matter of certainty because no one knows the future. It is a question of surrender and trust in the One who sustains the future. The one who holds me firmly and lovingly from birth to death, no matter what.