If one were to pose the following question to Christians around the world, what is the place of ambition in the Christian understanding of the incarnation? I can bet you that the response would be the same. Their typical responses would be that ambition is a negative thing and cannot be used to speak of the gift of the incarnation. In this short reflection, I intend to offer a different response to the question by probing deeper into the incarnation as a gift that is saturated in the spirituality of ambition.
In Christian theology, two views have come to shape the Christian understanding of the incarnation: the atonement theory and the theosis theory. The Sacrament of Baptism reconciles these views in its definition. Through baptism, one’s sins are forgiven (atonement) because Christ has atoned for our sins. Furthermore, through baptism, the baptized becomes a child of God (theosis) as an instantiation of the alter Christus (another Christ) that orients humanity to an intimate relationship with God. Whether the atonement theory or that of theosis (divinization), God’s grace of solidarity with humanity through the incarnate Christ is grounded in God’s own embrace of a spirituality of ambition. God wants more for creation. This wanting more compels God to become a God of solidarity in a manner that, through this solidarity, God’s own turn to the domain of ambition has materialized. In other words, ambition is action-driven. It is not simply in the domain of passive wishes. For God, the action was one of active solidarity that brought about God taking on human nature and becoming fully human so that humanity can, in turn, become fully divine through their new humanity that is grounded in Christ.
The spirituality of ambition is defined by an active embrace of discernment and a dogged determination to find ways to fully express one’s gift in such a manner that the gift blossoms to its fullness. Such a process never negates the inner desires of the one who is discerning. For God, it is the desire to bring about intimacy with creation. The first reading for the Christmas vigil reminds us of the power of ambition and its transforming fruits. The Prophet Isaiah (9:1-6) speaks of a people who walked in darkness and who, in their desire for something greater, are blessed with the gift of their hearts’ desires.
Darkness has a way of disorienting someone. Darkness can be the actual dark night of the soul, where one may feel lost and hollow, as though God has abandoned them. It can be a failed dream or an unrealized vocation. But what is most striking about the prophecy of Isaiah is not that these people who walk in darkness have seen a great light; rather, it is more of the fact that they are walking. They refuse to give up. They defy the logic of the world and those who insist that they must abandon their ambition. Not only that, but they also embrace an active way of realizing the content of their ambition. By actively walking even though they know not where they are heading, their ambition is realized through the generous gift of God, who dispels all darkness. Where darkness can be a type of doubt, ambition that is grounded in an active engagement is an antidote to such darkness. It propels one into the domain of new possibilities. Light allows one to see not just oneself, but the larger world, and to thus make relevant choices that can make one become fully the person they desire to be.
Ambition is not just about an event or a moment in one’s life. Rather, it is more about spirituality. Grounding ambition in the domain of spirituality allows for a social commitment and the linking of the content of ambition to the ethical summons to be a source of life for the world. What do I mean by this? Perhaps an example will help here. Our lives are saturated with ambition, and I dare to say with a spirituality of ambition. Our parents have dreams of greatness for each of us. They begin planning for our future even before we are born. Their ambition is couched in how they care for us, and the schools they send us to, the neighborhood they choose to raise us in, the friends they insist we should be closer to, and so on. These are the gifts of the spirituality of ambition they have embraced for each of us. On our part, we must continue in the same spirituality. We come to realize that we are good at healing. We want to be the best doctors we can ever be. We choose to go to school for it. We study hard and begin to craft our skills to ensure that we are at the best at what we do. But is it just for us? The answer is no. A spirituality of ambition orients us to embrace our gifts and to develop them greatly in such a manner that we can use them to do more good in the world. It shapes us in such a manner that we do not become mediocre at what we do or settle for less when we are called to do more in and for the world. Thus, a spirituality of ambition demands that we constantly discern ways of improving ourselves, our skills, our talents, and our gifts so that we can make more impact in the world.
A spirituality of ambition is grounded in the grace of active solidarity. Just as God’s own ambition is grounded in solidarity with humanity by becoming one with us and also working actively at atoning for our sins and gifting us with a new humanity that is Godlike, we are called to embody a spirituality of ambition. This orients us to be in solidarity with the world through our talents and gifts.
Our world is in need of a spirituality of ambition. A young girl in Afghanistan who is told that she cannot become a medical doctor simply because she is a female must be given the gift of solidarity by us through our insistence that she be allowed to go to school and use her talents to better the lives of humans, whether in her home country or beyond. Because this spirituality, like all spiritualities, needs to be supported by a community of believers, the gift of the incarnation orients all in the world to find ways they can use their own spirituality of ambition to enhance the spirituality of others. As a scholar, I am called to embrace my best skills in such a manner that I use them to enhance the lives of others. In living out my spirituality, I am also helping others to live out theirs.
In conclusion, I want to challenge my readers this week. As you celebrate the Christmas season, seek ways to discern how you live out your own spirituality of ambition. Also, discern how you can use the content of your ambition to better the world we all call home. May the grace of Christmas allow each of us to become fully who we are called to become in the world. Amen.
