In the last few weeks we have seen the life struggle of two high profile people: Hunter S. Thompson and Pope John Paul II.
Thompson, creator of gonzo journalism, shot himself February 20th on Sunday afternoon. According to his family, Thompson ended his life on his terms all included with a funeral of his ashes being shot out of a canon. The fireworks company charged with the Thompson “canonization” has said that the flash-bomb used in the process should be an “earth shaker.” Of course as, Christopher Westley writes, all this nonsense merely amounts to fear and loathing. Thompson’s example exhibited theological time preferences in the extreme short-term. He led a myopic life of hard drugs, of which both faith and hope were notably absent. He couldn’t take the pain anymore and didn’t want to be seen as an old fart, so he gave into the ultimate temptation of pride, the excessive love of his own excellence.
In contrast, Pope John Paul’s example exhibits theological time preferences for the long-term, particularly in service to the Kingdom of Heaven. John Paul II has decided to take up his cross, a cross of old age, pain, and a decline of his body. In essence he has decided to become a martyr against suicide, euthanasia, and all out giving up. Some have called for his retirement. Some have prayed for his death. Some have claimed that he is “slipping out” in an “undignified manner.” In any case, as a disciple of Christ he has denied himself and the surrounding world, and has chosen to live for His sake and go out on His terms. In the humility of the Beatitudes combined with the theological virtues, John Paul’s example shows us the way to eternal life.
In economics, Ludwig von Mises deduced that “Time preference is a categorical requisite of action. No mode of action can be thought of in which satisfaction within a nearer period of the future is not--other things being equal--preferred to that in a later period.” Although Mises argues that value judgments are beyond the scope of economics, I think that the axioms of time preference can be used to analyze our theological actions. With each sin, we choose to live in the short term consuming for the here and now of this world. When our sins turn from venial to mortal, we, theologically, become like the debtor who uses credit cards to pay off other credit cards. When we look theologically to the long term, we deny ourselves, “saving” for the preference of the latter period which is eternal life in heaven.
We can also look at our physical lives as a loan from God. He lends to us now, as the Great Capitalist, which expects a return on His investment. In our borrowing, we must pay interest, in particular for our sins, penance. This relationship can be best described in Christ’s words of the Parable of the Talents MAT 25:14-30:
"It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' (Then) the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Note how time preference applies even in the Divine Economy. Divine Revelation shows how it is categorical to God’s creation of man. We can either hide our God given talents in the sand with mortal sins or use them to glorify God. Theological preference for the long term brings eternal life, while preference for the short term leads to wailing and gnashing of teeth.