It is just a coincidence that the word “talent” in the Bible, referring to a large sum of money, means something different in common English usage. Or maybe, in fact, it is a providence — a God given opportunity to look at the “parable of the talents” with fresh eyes. God has gifted each of us with “talent,” with things that we can do. Don’t think of these talents as something exotic, as something out of the norm. Usually our talents are best experienced in small ways. Someone has a talent for listening, another a talent for organization, or a third a talent for simply being present where needed. As the parable warns us, those talents are meant to be used for bringing God into our homes and neighborhoods.