The Definition of Enthusiasm

From our choir loft at church you can look out across the sanctuary to the glass front doors, and see people climb the front steps and enter the building. Last night as we sat in the choir practicing before evening service, a tall, lanky young woman made her way up the steps and into the church. As she approached, someone said these words, "Here comes Sam! Prepare to be hugged!"

Most everyone knows Sam here. Sam grew up on a horse ranch a few miles outside our small town, riding from the time she was very small. A few years ago she suffered a devastating fall from a horse that affected her both physically and mentally. Since that time, she has grown up (over 6 feet tall!) into a beautiful young lady. Last night as I watched her at church, I could not help but think of the definition of "enthusiasm".

When she enters the room, everyone is instantly her friend and should "prepare to be hugged". If your shirt needs tugging down a bit, she will walk right up and do it for you. As she sat in the sanctuary last night listening to a message of hope and faith, her enthusiasm could not help but bubble over into smiles and amens. When the pastor described Christ's love and sacrifice, Sam clapped her hands and said "That's awesome!'. That I thought, is true enthusiasm.

The word enthusiasm comes from the term "en theos" or "in God". According to Wikipedia, an enthusiast is a person inspired by God. When the early Christians would see someone convert to Christianity there was this overwhelming joy that followed the gift of salvation, but they had a problem. There was no word to describe this feeling so they combined the two words (in God) creating the word (entheos) from which we get the English word enthusiasm. So originally, someone who was enthusiastic literally had God bubbling up out of them. God was in them, and it could not help but show on the outside.

Sometimes what we need in our churches and our lives is a little enthusiasm. Today the word is defined as simply being excited about what one is engaged in. Enthusiasm, either by the original or the modern definition, is sorely lacking. I love this quote from Douglas MacArthur:

Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

We may wrinkle on the outside, but far too many are wrinkled on the inside. If anyone should have enthusiasm, it is Christians, who literally have God within. Too often we slather on creams and sunscreen to fight wrinkles on our skin, but we do little to screen out the things that wrinkle our soul.

I have many things to do this week, some that are seemingly routine and trivial, others that are much more important. I pray that I do all of them with enthusiasm. And I thank God that Sam showed up with a smile and a hug to remind me of the true definition.