Adventure is whimsical, free, and fulfilling. The difficulties we face and the happy shenanigans along the way create a sense of whimsy in our daily lives. On an adventure, we are free to explore and try new things; and even to fail. And adventures are simply a journey to an end, and achieving the goal is to experience ultimate fulfillment.
I think Jesus is in our daily lives, calling us to a life of adventure. He calls us to love deeper, persevere farther, and live more vulnerably every day. To be committed to the call; to be contented with what we’re given; to desire the better instead of sufficing for what’s just okay. He takes us by the hand and eagerly leads us on towards the fulfillment of the quest: His righteousness and character.
Too often, things get in the way of our ability to adventure. Instead of viewing life as an adventure, our circumstances skew our thinking.
Chaotic and busy lives keep Americans from adventure daily. The mentality is, ‘if only we could try harder, do more, and finish this next project, THEN we could finally rest and be satisfied.’ The consumerism of our age has grown far beyond desiring physical things; we now pursue work as if it were our idol. We work hard and play harder, without any time for emotional, mental, or spiritual rest. The burned out feeling of this lifestyle pulls us away from adventure. Adventurers move forward at a pace defined by the obstacles they face and the growth they experience, while busy people press on in life at a pace defined strictly by time and deadlines.
Fear also limits adventure. Those who have been hurt in the past or filled with past regret often are immobilized and cannot move towards the goal. Fighting off fear can seem like an insurmountable summit, and it’d just be easier to live with fear than to put it off. The vulnerability required to open their hearts back up to love and grace is too much to face; and so the fear remains inside. It directs thoughts and festers in the soul until it brings fruit to hopelessness. These often never know what kind of life they are missing. Adventurers embrace risk and are willing to fail, while fearful people are left behind as life passes them by.
Finally, complacency keeps us from even setting out on an adventure. Distractions keep us from living a life well lived. The Internet, video games, television, social media, movies… all of these are low-hanging fruit for a temporary sense of fulfillment that quickly fades and leaves our souls desperate for more. Many adventures never get off the ground because comfort is idolized in our society. Adventurers forsake the luxury of comfort for the gain of ultimate fulfillment, while complacent people sit at home and forget of the wonderful, miraculous world filled with beauty just outside their door.
One of my favorite adventure stories is the one depicted in The Lego Movie. Emmet is an ordinary guy; so ordinary, in fact, that no one really notices him. He lives life as best he can, and yet everyone else ignores him. Eventually, adventure finds him in the form of a quest to stop the antagonist from gluing all of the Lego pieces in place.
In the climax of the movie, Emmet gives a speech to the antagonist that touches me every time. All along this adventure, Emmet has been told that he is “the Special” and that he is going to do amazing, great things. However, after many blunders and mistakes, he wonders if it’s true at all. And in the moments before his speech, he has an epiphany: he was never different from anyone else, but by simply believing he was “the special,” he began to change the world. It is this speech that I want to leave you with. Find your own adventure, and experience the life that Christ has set before you. He is calling you to something higher and better than anything you could ever imagine, so set out today on the adventure He’s calling you to.
“You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are the Special. And so am I. And so is everyone. The prophecy is made up, but it's also true. It's about all of us. Right now, it's about you. And you - still - can change everything.” - (The Lego Movie, 2014)
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