Do you remember when AI and robots were parts of sci-fi movies, but not everyday life? There was a funny movie called Short Circuit from the 1980s about a robot armed with AI for military work, but it decided it wanted to be gentle. Number Five wanted to read and have emotions; it wanted to be alive. In the 90s, our teenage babysitter thought it would be fun to show our two-year-old that movie, and for months afterward she would raise her little hands and say, “Five alive!” Do you have a sweet memory of a child saying something funny? The same teen taught her to say, “Yo Homey!” in place of hello. She proudly said it to a rabbi once, but that’s a story for another day.
“Twenty-five alive” could be a good motto for this year. It’s a little reminder to be fully present with people and projects, to let yourself feel joyfully alive and not robotically operate on auto-pilot. This world is going to surround us with more and more artificial intelligence, but we each have the real thing. Our intelligence and our emotions, our love and our spirits are unique. Our world needs us… to be us. God has a place and purpose for each of us while on earth, and then in heaven. We are alive in Christ for eternity, praise God! Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Five alive and full of grace – it’s going to be a good year! ~Tracy