Walk the Talk
In the Gospel for Ascension Sunday, Jesus gives us our marching orders. For each one of us, our vocation – our ‘calling’ – finds its genesis in his command to “go out into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). He’s put his trust in us – we’re smart and he knows we understand the assignment. But success requires follow-through, not just good intentions. And so, Paul, in the second reading, calls us to accountability when he says to us, “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you are called” (Eph 4:1).
In other words, walk the talk.
Our vocations vary. We are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Cf. Eph 4:11-12). We are priests and sisters, spouses and parents, neighbours, friends, bosses, and employees. Yet despite our diversity, we are united by one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Cf. Eph 4:5), and a common mission: we are disciples who have been called to make disciples. The long and the short of it is that in answering the call from Jesus, we have all been commissioned as leaders. And the kind of accountability that we expect of any sort of leader, be they in government, in corporate settings, in our Church, or even of ourselves in our own jobs, is the same kind of accountability that applies to us in our individual and collective vocations.
Being worthy of our calling means recognizing that other people depend on us and the work we do. It means showing up, and making concrete plans to follow through. It means taking responsibility for the results, and not assuming it’s someone else’s job or waiting for someone else to do it.
It means being proactive instead of reactive. It means speaking up for what is right when it would be easier to remain silent, standing with the marginalized instead of instead sitting comfortably on power, privilege, or wealth. It means coming up with solutions instead of complaints, and promises instead of excuses.
It means a willingness to learn. Not just about God, but about ourselves. About others. From others. From experience. From mistakes.
It means bearing with one another in love. It means accepting criticism – respectfully, when it’s well-deserved, patiently when it’s not. It means handling praise with humility, disagreements with maturity, and all relationships peacefully.
And when we commit to this work, it means that Jesus and the people we serve have the right to call us out on it when we don’t do it.
As we accept our commission on Ascension Sunday, we answer the call, and we recognize that the honour of accepting a calling from Christ also means we are tasked with a holy responsibility: Our mission is to build the kingdom. Our vocation is to make disciples. Our job is to walk the talk.
By Darcie Lich
