In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it to the full.”
When some translations of the Scripture say, “Have it to the full,” I take issue with that. The Greek word there is περισσον )perisson) and it is a derivative of περισσευω (perisseuo). This is important to me because this word is more accurately translated as “to abound, overflow, exceed beyond the limit, or never end.”
Jesus isn’t interested in a “full” life. Jesus is interested in a life that is abounding, overflowing, exceeding beyond the limit, and never-ending.
If Christian spirituality is not interested in περισσον life in the here and now, then it is not what Jesus had in mind. This is not some prosperity Gospel of wealth; that is not what I mean. Christian faith is concerned with a life that is overflowing with quality, depth, meaning, and connection while bursting with the fruit of the Spirit.
Faith is not only asking if you will have a quality life after you die; it is also about having a quality life before you die.
It is a both/and issue, not either/or.
Overflowing life here, now, AND later on.
I have met many people for whom spirituality seemed to diminish their lives, to make them smaller, to make them bland, and less vibrant. I would happily diagnose that as the result of a faulty interpretation of faith.
There is not supposed to be some giant cork blocking the geyser of overflowing life. And, in case no one told you, Jesus doesn’t like corks, especially when it is holding back a good life (or better wine).
So let’s jettison any interpretation of faith that puts a limit or ceiling to quality of life. Let’s drop any hint or idea that faith is supposed to suppress life rather than encourage it.
What if Christian spirituality is designed to invite all of us to a life that exceeds the limits starting in the present moment, rather than put a ceiling on joy or human thriving? What would that kind of faith look like?
(This is an excerpt from my free book, Breadcrumbs: Reflections on a Reconstructed Faith eBook, which you can get for free when you sign up for the 5 on Friday Newsletter.
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