Be Fully Alive

“The glory of God is man fully alive.”
–Saint Ireneaus

I was reminded of that quote the other day, and remembered how much I liked it. After a little reflection, I realized that the reason it resonates so deeply within me is because it completely underscores what Kim & Jason is really all about.

As I travel the country speaking to various organizations, I see it in the faces of the people. It is a lost look, a dull, overwhelmed, and resigned look. It’s peppered with a twinge of cynicism, and laced with traces of melancholy. A somehow loud but easily unnoticeable sadness lies behind their eyes. They are people that are busy, successful, and content, but not necessarily fulfilled.

They are not really living life.

Examine a four-year-old, and you’ll see someone who is truly engaged in the business of living life. His spirit is playful, eager for new adventures. He curiously pokes and prods the world around him, delighted by the tiny — but amazing — wonders his explorations turn up. He believes anything is possible, including tooth fairies, dream jobs, and happy homes. His passion is on display for the whole world to see; he doesn’t once consider what others may think. He doesn’t take himself too seriously — note his uncombed hair and jelly-stained t-shirt, a souvenir of yesterday’s lunch — and yet he somehow is able to understand the important things, that there is a God who loves us very much, and that time is always more precious than things.

And yet this child does not live in an idealized fairy world. Really living life can be uncomfortable and messy, and he has the scrapes and bruises to prove it. Things don’t always go as planned, stuff breaks, tears are shed. And yet you never see a four-year-old walk into a room and complain of how stressed-out he is. To a four-year-old, a giggle is never far away, good things are just around the corner, and a grand new adventure awaits.

To me, this is what it means to be fully alive. This is why we were created. Kim & Jason simultaneously represents an ideal I try to live out every day, and a message I desperately want to spread to others. Hopefully, Kim & Jason can serve as a beacon, reminding you of that indomitable spirit that still exists within you, and giving you permission to let that spirit come out to play.

[tags]Kim & Jason, St. Ireneaus, childlike, living[/tags]