Irenaeus: Fully Alive
“When was the last time you felt fully alive?”
Today’s Guest Blogger is: Randy Hendersen, Director of Youth Ministry at OLIH
YOLO: “You only live once!” We’re quick to chalk this bit of popular jargon as reckless, selfish, hedonistic, and short-sighted. And let’s be honest, when this phrase first became popular not so long ago it was often evoked with a pleasure-seeking, consequence free reality in mind. However, it also contains a bit of wisdom that Saint Irenaeus expands in his famous quote, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Likewise, Jesus Himself said, “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the fullest.” (John 10:10). I think in the year 2020 we might ask ourselves, am I “fully alive,” and am I living my life to the fullest? And what does this look like when the circumstances in our lives are not always super cool, but instead are tragic, grief laden or full of confusion.
The temptation we face in our time and place is to numb and distract ourselves. We binge watch, binge drink, binge-you-name-it. We compare ourselves to others and often become consumed with a feeling or sense that we don’t have enough, that we ourselves are not-enough and that we are not worthy of love. Or maybe we rightfully worry about the authenticity of your relationship with others and with God. A unique offering that St. Irenaeus brings to us is the suggestion that God is singularly interested, intrigued, and GLORIFIED in you and I. Jesus not only loves us, but experiences Joy in seeing us live life to the fullest. We are enough.
So coming back to YOLO, what does such an attitude offer that’s of any worth as Christians? YOLO inspires action over inaction and a sense that we shouldn’t wait around for life to find us and this part of YOLO is spot on. Sometimes we really need to “step up” and “step out” in life and know that despite our best efforts as people of faith, we might really mess something up - at work, at school, at home, in our relationships.
Irenaeus wants us to raise the bar on an attitude of YOLO and suggest that our deepest desires are also God’s deepest desires for us. God doesn’t want to restrict us; God wants to set us free. God wants us to live fully alive with the knowledge that Jesus isn’t a passive observer, or worse a distant judge of our lives. Rather, we are asked to welcome Emmanuel, “God with us,” who is ready to inspire our greatest acts of Christian kindness as well as offer forgiveness and healing. Through Saint Irenaeus’ words, we’re invited to wake up from any part of our life that is only being partially lived and invite Christ into that part where our deepest desires will be realized and lived fully, not just once as YOLO suggests, but forever and ever.