In Jesus’ parable, a dishonest steward discovers that his loyalty to an absentee master has left him empty and alone. In desperation, he turns back toward his community—using even compromised means to restore relationship. Jesus commends his shrewdness as a lesson for us: discern where your loyalties lie, because absentee masters do not care for you.
In our day, one of our absentee masters are the algorithms and outrage machines of social media. They thrive on our attention, feed on our outrage, and leave us isolated from one another. But the good news is that God can redeem even our compromised tools, bending them toward connection and grace. The Church is God’s training ground for real community: here we learn again how to belong, to pray, and to care for one another.
