The Moral Bucket List Part 3
David Brooks maps the terrain. The Gospel supplies the compass.
If you missed the first two parts of this series comparing David Brooks “Moral Bucket List” with the Biblical process of moral formation they are available for free at timhudson.substack.com.
5. The Call Within The Call — or, Vocation
We come now to the final two steps of Brooks’ moral journey—what he calls the call within the call and the conscience leap. These two steps are where Brooks’ secular moral vision most obviously brushes against the sacred, and where a Christian understanding of vocation and prophetic obedience can shine with clarity.
Brooks takes note that morally admirable people often begin with a conventional career path but are eventually summoned to something deeper—a more selfless, redemptive mission. This “call within the call” is, in his words, “A vocation shaped by deeper purpose."
“We all go into professions for many reasons… But some people have experiences that turn a career into a calling.”
Christians would call that the discovery of vocation. Not simply a job, but a Spirit-led calling. Vocation is where our gifts meet the world’s need, and where our lives become offerings to God.
Many in Scripture experienced a “call within the call”:
Moses the shepherd turned liberator by his encounter with God at the burning bush
Saul the persecutor turned Paul the apostle by his encounter with God on the Damascus Road who wrote this description of a Christian's “call within the call”
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Mary, Jesus’ mother, who answered yes to God's call and changed history.
Though not as spectacular the same principle apples today. Through prayer, community, and obedience, saying yes to God’s call draws us into deeper participation in His mission to reconcile the world to Himself.
Anglican tradition values this discernment. It’s not just clergy who are called—all of us are. As the Book of Common Prayer puts it, we are called “to love and serve the Lord with gladness and singleness of heart.”
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23)
In Christ, work is not just career—it can become vocation, a calling in the service of God’s kingdom.
6. The Conscience Leap — or, Costly Obedience
Finally, Brooks describes the people he admires as those who make sacrificial decisions rooted in moral clarity. They live by conscience, even when it’s costly. They leap beyond fear, status, utilitarian logic—into integrity.
“In most lives there’s a moment when people strip away all the branding and status symbols … They leap out beyond the utilitarian logic and crash through the barriers of their fears.”
This, too, is central to Christian ethics. Think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr., and all persecuted Believers around the world who refuse to betray their convictions under pressure.
Jesus said, in the sermon on the mount,
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10).
This kind of obedience is not moral stubbornness—it’s love in action, even when misunderstood.
For Christians, such courage is not individualistic but rooted in the commitment that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the LORD God.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… for the LORD your God goes with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
We don’t follow our conscience alone; we follow it in light of Scripture, prayer, the Church, and the Spirit’s leading.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
Brook’s “conscience leap” is reflected in the Christian call to courageous witness and Spirit-led obedience.
“We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29)
Brooks gives us a vision of moral life that is noble and stirring. As a Christian, I affirm his moral insights and go a step further: moral beauty is not just admirable—it is divine. It comes from God, is formed in Christ, and is sustained by grace.
Closing Thoughts
The six virtues of David Brooks’ Moral Bucket List form a moral arc that resonates deeply with Christian Scripture — six virtues that trace the shape of the Gospel itself:
From humility
To repentance
To Spirit-led transformation
To life rooted in Christ
To vocation shaped by love
To courageous action for the sake of others
And so, as we reflect on our own moral bucket list, may we remember that the journey is not simply to become better people, but to become more like Jesus—for the sake of the world He loves.
Great post Tim, One of the most liberating aspects of Lutheran theology is the doctrine of vocation – the understanding that God works through ordinary people in their everyday callings. This stands in stark contrast to contemporary ideas about finding one's "purpose" through some extraordinary achievement or mystical inner calling.
The Reformer Martin Luther taught that God works as a "mask" through everyday Christians serving in their various stations – parent, worker, neighbor, citizen. Within the broader umbrella of Christian love, these masks extend beyond formal biblical vocations to encompass all acts of service toward our neighbors. While this service often appears mundane, it is through these ordinary acts that God accomplishes His extraordinary work in the world.
Well written. Thoughts that need to be stated and lived