"To truly live is to be a passionate participant in the joyful adventure of life rather than an indifferent onlooker tediously allowing life to pass us by."

Those words, which I penned a few years ago, are my lifecreed. They're a testament to my innermost conviction that we are designed for the creative engagement of life-exalting joy, rather than the destructive embrace of life-degrading pursuits.

And bearing witness to and living out this lifecreed is what I'm all about.

What I Do

I'm a professional writer by occupation. At present I contract exclusively as a senior copywriter with a national legal marketing firm where I develop projects for attorneys and small law firms, focusing on criminal law, Constitutional law, and immigration law. I attended Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, where I majored in Political Science.

Who I Am / My Faith

If I am a "participant in the joyful adventure of life," then my faith is my North Star. I often describe it as a deeply human faith. For me it's not about how or what I believe, or about religion or spirituality. It's about a powerful and motivating conviction that proclaims we are all sacred in our common humanity. And it is by this conviction that I seek to advance that humanity by pursuing Oneness with all that is creative and joyful in the human experience.

I grew up in a strict, conservative Christian tradition. When I reached my mid-twenties I left my tradition, and rejected Christianity out of severe disillusionment. For a number of years following I found solace and enlightenment in other spiritual paths which accentuated compassion and joy, and today, while I still embrace the universal treasures those paths blessed me with, I now once again identify as a Christian. Yet like many today, I am a Christian of a new kind, and often refer to myself as an "emergent faith" Christian. For me, authentic faith both begins and ends with the embrace and practice of Love as embodied in The Greatest Commandment, and as exemplified in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

How I Live, How I Love

My closest friends will tell you I possess both an insane capacity for child-like silliness and a powerful capacity for sage-like seriousness. I'd like to think I've learned how to successfully balance both.

My child-like silly self loves to have fun. This means lots of laughter, lots of activity outside (my personal favorites are kayaking, hiking, camping, and going to the gym regularly; fitness is important; and yes, I know the gym is not an outside activity), going to the movies (for me, it's about the popcorn; food is life, right?), telling dumb (and bad) jokes, and never taking myself too seriously.

Along with the fun, my life is also about being a joyful grace seeker. There's never a lack of opportunity to show kindness or express compassion; to extend mercy or to share a smile. There are also those moments where seeking grace is about upholding and advancing human equality, especially for the marginalized and the victimized. And sometimes this requires being a pro-Love, Jesus-like troublemaker.

Where I Am, What I'm Up To

I currently reside on the outskirts of Pennsylvania's Amish Country just ninety minutes west of Philadelphia. In addition to my professional writing work, I am in the process of forming faith development and fellowship initiatives, as well as preparing writing projects focusing on emergent faith.

I can be contacted by email at rjay@rjaypearson.com.

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