Gloria Dei Homo Vivens: A New Year’s Call to Humanity Fully Alive

Gloria Dei Homo Vivens

“Gloria enim Dei vivens homo, vita autem hominis visio Dei.”

“The glory of God is the living human, and the life of the human is the vision of God.”

— St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130–c.202 AD)

What does this truly mean? It means that God is not glorified in abstract ideas, empty religiosity, or loud religious slogans. God is glorified when human life comes fully alive — when we become the kind of humans God intended us to be: compassionate, just, loving, creative, courageous, and deeply human.

Irenaeus wrote this in a time when some believed the human body, the world, and daily life were inferior or spiritually unimportant. His response was bold and revolutionary: humanity is not a divine mistake; humanity is God’s glory. God’s desire was never for us to escape humanity, but to restore it — to live it fully.

When Is God Truly Glorified?

From the beginning, God created humanity and declared it “very good.” Later, God did something astonishing: God became human and lived among us. If God embraced humanity so deeply, then our calling is not only to be human, but to practice humanity.

Because the truth is painfully real:

One can be Christian, yet not human.

One can be human, yet fail to live humanity.

Christmas: Celebrating the Humanity of God

When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate not just the birth of Jesus, but the humanity of God.

A God who does not remain distant. A God who enters vulnerability, touch, tears, relationships, and love.

Yet sometimes religiosity replaces humanity. We cling to rituals, systems, and appearances, while compassion, justice, and love fade into the background. Perhaps it is not humanity that needs replacing with religion — sometimes religion needs healing through true humanity.

Humanity as dignity.

Humanity as love embodied.

Humanity as God intended.

God is glorified when we live deeply and truthfully: for ourselves, for those around us, for our communities, and for creation itself. God is not glorified when faith wounds people, when religious speech justifies injustice or violence, when hearts are broken, when nature is destroyed, or when God’s name is used to harm rather than heal.

God is not glorified when faith wounds people, when religious speech justifies injustice or violence, when hearts are broken, when nature is destroyed, or when God’s name is used to harm rather than heal.

God is glorified when we love our neighbour as ourselves. When humanity becomes fully alive — filled with justice, peace, compassion, mercy and dignity — personally, socially, and globally.

So perhaps this is our calling today:

Not just to be religious.

But to be radically, beautifully, courageously human.

As we step into a new year, I wish every reader, every friend, and every subscriber a year filled with hope, courage, tenderness, and light — a year in which our humanity shines through the darkness, heals wounds, restores dignity, and brings peace to our communities, our world, and our hearts.

Because…

Gloria Dei Homo Vivens: The glory of God is humanity fully alive. Happy New Year

Samuel Lee