Arete ( /ˈærətiː/; Greek: ἀρετή), in its basic sense, means excellence of any kind.  In its earliest appearance in Greek, this thought of excellence was ultimately bound up with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one’s full potential.

Just think of what would be possible if we lived this way, trying to use up every last drop of ourselves during our short time here.  The apostle Paul lived this way.

Imagine what could be done to spread God’s Word to the ends of the Earth if we lived this way too…

We would change the world, leave a legacy, and live a lifetime of adventure.  May we all strive for Arete.

I just wrapped up three decades on this big blue ball hurtling through space.  Crazy, I know.  Actually comprehending that sentence propelled me on an introspective journey that I’m going to share with you.  Here we go.

(more…)