ZOE. It’s the Greek word used in the New Testament that translates into the English “life.” As in…”I came that they may have life (ZOE), and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
This abundant life Jesus talks about has very little to do with the kinds of things we often associate with the word abundance in American society…more money, more house, more stuff. In fact, some of the persons I’ve met over the course of my life who seemed to be living most abundantly had none of these things. At the core of the abundant life is a sense of one’s own sacred worth that can be neither increased nor negated by material possessions (or lack of them).
I’m grateful to embark on a trip today with an organization whose name is ZOE. Their mission? To empower young people in underdeveloped countries to discover a life (ZOE) that they might never have imagined possible for themselves. ZOE invites individuals and churches to partner with them in equipping these kids for a future filled with hope and promise…one in which they can live and work and care for their own needs with dignity. You can read more about their work at wearezoe.org.
This week I will have the opportunity to meet a number of these children and youth, including members of Abadahigwa, one of the groups being supported by our church. What I’m most looking forward to is that this is not a transactional endeavor. It is not a bandaid mission. It is a relational encounter. And in the moments we share with each other, there is the chance that we might each discover something we didn’t know before about our sacred worth…and we will begin to live more abundantly because of it.
TheRippleEffect 