Monday, August 24, 2009

Ad Adventurum

This past weekend one my closest friends since childhood came and visited me. We have literally known each other going on 16 years now. As we sat and passed the weekend time playing Nascar Kart on Nintendo Wii, I was kind of transported back to a time when things were somewhat simpler and all together more grand. To a time when the world seemed vast and the universe unfathomable. A place that many of us travel in our lifetimes, but none of us can ever stay in again, our childhood.

Looking back I remember how the world was so much fuller for me at that moment. The promise of tommorow still held true, and adventure waited around every corner, wooded lot, or small stream. There were heros and villains, good guys and bad guys, cowboys and indians, battles and juice drinks. Life itself was the very definition of adventure. I remember times when our whole neighborhood of kids would simply wage war on one another in an epic battle for "neighborhood supremecy" (to this day I have no idea what supremecy was, we all just desired it). Our world held so much promise and that promise lay in the adventure of it all. Even our very first day of school was an adventure (every day after that not so much but still one day's still good right?).

Then something happens to us though, life sets in, words like responsibilities, expectations, work, job, and goals begin to infiltrate our vocabulary. We slowly but surely replace our quest for neighborhood supremecy for one of wealth, education, or employment. We give up on the adventure of our lives to pursue success in our lives. We have replaced our dreams with a to-do list and our heart's desire with a contract of obligations. We do this all in the name of "growing up". I firmly believe though that the cost of living does not have to be our dreams.

Christ does not call us to a list of to-do's and a set of obligations. Christ calls us to an adventure of epic purportions that will engulf the very whole of our lives. We were not called out of the darkness and into obligations, we were called into the light. It doesn't say he whom the son sets free is obligated. We must have a revolution of thought for all those belonging to the faith. We must leave the chains of normalcy and complacency and once again take up the cause of "neighborhood supremecy" and chase our dreams to the very farthest parts of the earth. We must be willing to put the whole of our lives on the line withholding nothing and see where the journey takes us. It's time to embrace the adventure again.

Just as the Romans would say as they were about to leap into battle, "Ad Adventurum", I now say to you, TO THE ADVENTURE!