Choose Your Audacity Carefully

Are you audacious?  Do you have audacity?

The dictionary defines audacity as a willingness to take bold risks.  But it can also be a disregard for restraints, or rude and crude disrespect.  So one can be audacious in a good way or in a not so good way.

The fact that this word carries such opposing traits as intrepid boldness and arrogant, crude, disregard for conventions gives us an idea of the full scope and range of this word.  At first glance, then, one might hardly think of the word audacity as representing a microcosm of the spiritual life.  But, as we rapidly immerse ourselves in the season of Christmas, I suggest that this is very much the case.

The Audacity of Giving of Self and Giving to God (Kenosis)

The term kenosis denotes self-emptying for another.  It is most frequently used to describe Christ’s total giving of Himself for us.  Our Lord’s entire life is a personification of kenosis.  He came down to us in the form of a helpless infant born in dusty poverty.   And he purchased our salvation by suffering a cruel and torturous death as redemption for our sins.

Christ’s kenosis is a willing participation and sharing in our human condition and struggle out of a perfect, loving desire to reach out to us. Our Lord lovingly and willingly emptied himself for others throughout his life.  He also emptied himself out for God.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, for instance, Our Lord opened himself completely to God’s Will in service and love for God and others.

The message is clear:   Just as Christ emptied himself to God’s Will , so also must we, his followers, be ready, willing, and able to empty ourselves to God’s will, plan, and purpose in our lives.  Likewise, just as Christ constantly and regularly emptied himself in the loving service of others so, also, must we who claim to be his followers do the same.

But what does Christ’s kenosis have to do with audacity, one might ask.

Our present world and society is all about self-benefit, manipulation of situations and others, and reverence and subservience to self above anything or anyone else.  The only giving that this world embraces is giving to self.  One must truly exhibit intrepid boldness and disregard for earthly and societal convention in order to proclaim one’s allegiance, love, and respect to God’s Will and purpose for our lives.

The Audacity to Follow Christ

This kenosis to God and others demands a daring and bold willingness to follow Christ in a society which barely remembers or truly appreciates him. There is audacity in distinguishing oneself from the values and goals of this world, and we can rightfully assess that this is a good kind of audacity. One must truly be audacious to follow Christ in a world or society that rejects or mocks him.

One must also be audacious to reject the many temptations and impulses of this sinful world.  And, finally, one must be audacious to willingly and exuberantly expose oneself as a follower of Christ in this world and society.  To expose means to reveal and make visible that which was previously concealed, usually in a negative context.

I suggest that we view to expose and to reveal in the same light here. Both mean to bring to light that which was previously hidden or unknown.  And just as we can reveal or expose evil, we should gladly and happily reveal or expose ourselves as followers of Christ on a daily basis!

We do this revealing and exposing through our thoughts, words, and actions in loving obedience and service of God and service of others.  We cannot be seen as followers of Christ until we reveal and expose ourselves as followers of Christ through our example and dedication.

Ultimately, then, being a follower of Christ demands the audacity to follow him at all costs through total giving of self to God and others.

The Audacity of Aspiring to God

The term theosis denotes the belief that we are invited, called, and intended by God to be participants and partners in His Divine Nature through grace.  The Scriptural support for theosis is found in John 17:22-23 and in 2 Peter 1:4.

Theosis speaks of our destiny of perfect union with Our Lord as partakers of the divine nature.  Although somewhat forgotten in the Roman Catholic Church, this belief is deeply embedded in the Eastern rite.  It is clearly at the core of our Faith.

The virtue of this belief in theosis is found in the very reason some reject it. Many find the notion that we are destined and intended to share as partners with God audacious, as in obnoxious and disrespectful.  However, I strongly suggest that we consider what kind of God we are blessed with.

Is our God a distant, cold, authoritarian despot who is constantly putting us in our place?  Is He  continually reminding us who is the boss?  Anyone who has read St. Therese of Lisieux, the little flower, should know the answer to these questions. Our God is a loving, caring, benevolent Papa reaching out to us and welcoming us to come to Him.

Given our view of God as loving, embracing, and welcoming, it is clear to me that the only one who wants us to think that aspiring to share with God is obnoxious and disrespectful is the devil himself.

The Audacity of Sin

We all know the stories of the fallen angels and the fall of Adam and Eve. In both cases, creatures God had made had the audacity to aspire themselves as equal to God and not needing to follow His Will.  That is the essence of sin.  Sin is the audacity to ignore, mock, patronize, disobey, or marginalize God in favor of ourselves.

Given all that we owe to God, that is truly the height of obnoxious ingratitude.  You have to have audacity to offend God and, sadly, that is an audacity we are all far too familiar with and practice too frequently.

The Fork in the Road on a Silent Night

We daily face a fork in the path of our spiritual life.  Both paths require audacity.  In both cases, one must make a daring and bold choice with serious implications.  One path leads us to our rightful and intended sharing with God.  The other leads to the very real tragedy of eternal damnation and loss of God.

We have to have audacity to overcome the messages and values of this world as we strive for God.  We also have to have audacity to ignore this loving God as we strive for self.

Long ago on a Silent Night and shortly thereafter, hearts and minds had the audacity to follow a Star that changed their lives.  Given all that you can gain or lose from that choice, it is best that you choose your audacity wisely.

Have a Blessed Christmas season and New Year.