Adventure
The Christian life is adventuresome. One of the themes of Christianity at its roots is radical departure from the ways of the “world”. This word “world” is archaic and is used like a term of art by practicing Christians. The word simply means a way of living that is independent, even disdainful of God. The material world itself is good, and Christians enjoy it and even marvel at it like all other people.
What is this “radical departure”? One way to think of this idea is that this world is an airport. We have landed here, we enjoy the visit, and we are learning things here while we wait for the next flight out. We don’t act like persons who live at the airport, and because we are focused on the eventual departure taking us home, we are “radically” different than the culture of the airport.
Here is a way of thinking of the Christian adventure. Life is meant to be lived as an opportunity. We awaken each day with an awareness that awakening is itself a gift, and our foremost healthy attitude is to be simply grateful. We also are aware that having been blessed by life, we are to use life in some way. That is, the gift is so precious that we feel a sense of urgency to live wisely and well. Conversely, we avoid wasting our lives.
But here is the catch: We cannot enter into the opportunities of life without accepting the risks of life. The reasons that Christianity has not burned like a passionate fire in a cold and dark world is that the lure of opportunity without risk has made Christianity anemic and well, “worldly”.
This morning, as I reflected on how I would bring more “adventure” into my relationship with my girlfriend, Judy, I reflected on how often she stated she enjoyed the “adventure” of some activity or trip we shared. I realized, looking back on those times, that her feminine soul was desiring that I lead us in more “adventures”. I realized that she looked to me to be proactive and enthusiastic about planning those adventures with her.
As a result of those thoughts, I expanded my thinking to cover adventure generally, and the result of that thinking is this posting, and the following areas of life where I will seek more Godly adventure:
Service
Prayer
Intellect
Romance
Income
Travel
Each of these is an area of life in which a movement from the safe to the unknown and even dangerous is invited. Taking a chance on life is part of the Christian practice. Playing it “safe” means living as expected, without risk of criticism or standing apart from a commonly accepted practice based on principle.
For Christians, our model is Christ himself. He was filled with the S-P-I-R-I-T of adventure. He loved and lived passionately, with a sense of his ultimate mission, the nobility and purpose of his work, and a total commitment to Perfection. In this sense, He was a true Romantic. He took his message to all areas and cultures, all levels of status and education and work, around him. He traveled and mingled outside his comfort zone of little Nazereth. His ideas were startling to the authorities of the time, and his intellect sharp and penetrating in its challenge to the usual assumptions of his day. He lived life from a confident place of abundance, and his “income” was the kind and amount which was right for him, and the adventure he pursued. Perhaps the greatest aspect of Christ’s adventuresome S-P-I-R-I-T was his attitude and practice of service. He was the very Son of God, God Incarnate, yet he taught that he came into the world not to be served, but to serve. He explicitly taught that if he, the “Master” was acting as a “servant”, then those who were his disciples were to follow his example of service. What does this mean in practical terms? Find a new and creative way to serve your spouse, your children, you employer or employees, your friends, and even those who are strangers in need. All are to be served. In this service you show true leadership.
