Word of the (Yester)Day

Enthusiasm – n. 1 strong interest or admiration 2 great eagerness 3archaic extravagant religious emotion

The word enthusiasm used to be confined to the ecclesiastical world. Not until about the 18^th century did it leap from clerical notes to our notes so we could use it to describe today’s verve, zeal and general pep in activity.

It comes directly from the Latin enthusiasmus and less directly from the Greek entheos, but let’s take the Greek because it’s easier to break down. En simply being “in” and –theos meaning “God” (think theology). Both the Latin and the Greek refer to divine inspiration, of being “in God,” a possession by, and communion with, God.

Early American revivalists were labeled as “enthusiasts” –originally a pejorative term condemning their perceived excessive religious emotion.  I’m glad it’s no longer derogatory. But I’m a little sad to learn that it has lost most its original connotation of religious emotion received from divine inspiration.

Yesterday I met two young men who couldn’t be much older than me, if they were at all. These young men were religious devotees, by choice and with strong interest and eagerness in their pursuit.  Their enthusiasm was abundantly clear – spilling over into their dress, their haircuts, their speech.

I’ve never been openly religious, so this very public display of religious devotion was fascinating. As if I were a child, I wanted to point to this and that and ask what, why, when and most intensely, how.

These two young devotees were refreshing, thought-provoking. It was not even the least of my business, but I so eagerly wanted to know why they chose to be men of God instead of any other number of possible things. I was, and still am, curious and inquisitive and risked being downright nosy, but I kept my manners. I smiled and nodded and smiled some more at every question they patiently answered.

One’s eyes were bright and earnest, the others often down turned, soft and unassuming. They spoke as their eyes suggested.

For thirty minutes these two young men spoke with me, a stranger. We spoke happily, steadily, and perhaps, you could say, even enthusiastically.