The means and the end

SOMETIME ago, I wrote an article about the close

relationship between faith and works, citing that famous passage from

the Letter of St. James: “Show me your faith apart from your works,

and I by my works will show you my faith.” (2,18)

            And yet, in spite of that closeness, we have to

acknowledge that the two are not identical. Faith is a supernatural

gift, while our works are a product of our effort. Faith can be lived

even without works as in the case of a baby recently baptized. He

already has received the gift, which by its nature is gratuitous, but

the baby is yet incapable of expressing it into deeds.

            It is important to acknowledge this distinction because in

our effort to pursue a goal, an objective or an end, we of course have

to use the appropriate means. We just cannot think of simply achieving

an end without the proper means. But again we should not make the

means and the end identical.

            In the first place, to reach an end, we may use different

means according to the peculiar circumstances of the persons involved.

With that alone, we can already see that the means and the end should

not be held identical.

            Truth is we can hardly say that the end can only be

achieved by a certain means, although in some exceptional cases that

may be so. But in general, the end or goal can be achieved by

different means.

            Besides, just like the gift of faith received by the baby

without expressing it in deeds yet, the end or objective may already

be given to us in a gratuitous way without us working for it through

some means. In this case, we can see that the means are not necessary

to achieve an end. The means and the end cannot be held identical.

            This distinction between the means and the end is

important as we consider the value of our fidelity to our vocation,

commitment, spirituality, mission, etc. We definitely have to use the

appropriate means, unless we are given some extraordinary gifts from

God that would exempt us from using any means and effort. But we can

imagine that that case must be very special and exceptional.

            Then we also have to realize that the appropriate means to

achieve an end may differ and vary according to the circumstances of

the persons involved. What works with one person may not work with

another. So, it would not be proper to impose a rigid set of means to

be done in a rigidly specific way to reach an end.

            There may be a general set of means to be offered to

achieve an end, but everyone has to understand that this set can be

lived in different ways according the specific conditions of the

persons involved.

            We know that the circumstances and conditions of persons

can change, and therefore the way they avail and use the means can

also vary. We should not give the impression that only some specific

means should be used and that they have to be used in a specific way.

            What is most important is that everyone is keenly aware of

the end to be achieved, and we should just let everyone feel

completely free to use whatever means he thinks is appropriate for

achieving the end, and the way those means are availed of.