I absolutely love the elegance and richness of biblical Greek. There are some words and, more broadly, concepts that beat those of the English language hands down. One of my all time favorites is Ζωτικότητα (Zo-tik’-o-tita). What does it mean? Almost every good thing you can think of. Most literally life force, variations and nuances abound. It also is used to mean creative energy, well being, vitality, abounding love/positive regard, completion, wholeness, unity, connection in spirit, undistracted presence, peace/tranquility/serenity in the moment, and fullness/abundance. When a person experiences perfection in any aspect of life, they experience Ζωτικότητα.

Greek philosophy overflows with Ζωτικότητα in the abstract. Like Plato’s forms it is an ideal rather than a lived reality. It is what we strive for, glimpse, taste, but never fully apprehend or contain. It is the essence that gives life meaning and helps explain why we are here. For Paul, it is the reality of being in Christ and experiencing Christ in us. While impossible for us lowly humans, it is the gift God intends to give us all. It is the cornerstone of joy.

Life can be challenging, disheartening, frustrating, painful, and disappointing. But it doesn’t have to be a burden. Anger, grief, injury, insult, betrayal, and loneliness are part of the package, but never have to define us. For many philosophers, the basic concept of Ζωτικότητα is a fork in the road we come to many times every day. Will we choose the positive path or the negative. Will we head for that which energizes or drains, invigorates or exhausts, inspires or defeats? It is up to us to choose.

Does our validation, our attitude, our outlook, and our sense of worth depend on internal forces or external forces? Is it the world’s job to make us happy or our job to make the world a better place, not only for self but others as well? Should we seek only that which comforts, satisfies, pleases, and enriches our own life or is there something more? Ζωτικότητα explicitly demands that we choose life over death, hope over despair, responsibility over rights, light over darkness, and love over hate. It is simple, yet not always easy.

Ζωτικότητα is heaven. Not some far off, pie-in-the-sky-after-you-die heaven, but the truly connected, imminent, pervasive, all-encompassing realm/kingdom/kin*dom/harvest home of God right here, right now. As Christ followers can we even question or doubt Ζωτικότητα? We may not feel it, but this is where faith comes in. I believe in a God who intends Ζωτικότητα for me. I believe Ζωτικότητα is not only possible, but inevitable should I only choose to get out of my own way to embrace it. I try to map it out in my mind, looking for paths and possibilities that will make Ζωτικότητα more real in my day-to-day.

Idealistic? Damn skippy! Our God is nothing if not ideal. God’s will is nothing if not ideal. Our place in the body of Christ is nothing if not ideal. I am not sure that the Christian church stands in any greater need than for a resurgence of honest-to-God idealism. Ideally, we would all act a bit more like Jesus the Christ and the idealistic potential of Ζωτικότητα would generate the ideal life for all God’s children.

Ζωτικότητα is not something we can manufacture, and certainly not fake. It is never within our control. Ζωτικότητα is a gift given by God in all its forms and functions. All we can do is be open to it, to believe in it, to pray for it, and to allow it to flow into and through us. I love this concept. I love the integral, inclusive, expansive, exorbitant, and luxurious nature of it. I wish I had more of it and I would love to be able to give it to you. And maybe I have, a little.