In an age marked by so-called religious “radicals” who use violence in the name of God, it’s important that nobody misunderstands me when I talk about The Radical Life. The Radical Life is not violent.

Let’s be clear. There is nothing really all that radical about using violence and fear to achieve an end. It’s completely unoriginal. The oldest and cheapest tactic in the book.

Resorting to violence is usually a sure sign that the ideas you’re sharing and the life you’re living are not compelling enough on their own. Violence is not a sign of strength. It’s a sign of weakness. Not something to be feared, but something to be pitied. Not a sign of courage, but a sign of desperation and a lack of faith.

What most people call religious radicalism today is not really radical at all. It’s just more of the same desperate and unconvincing violence.

And not only is this “religious radicalism” not radical, but it’s not religious either. It’s a distortion of good religion. After all, when we act violently we are giving in to a lower nature, not embracing a higher one (the aim of good religion).

No. The Radical Life is much more radical than that.

In fact, not only is The Radical Life not violent toward others, but it doesn’t impose anything upon others at all. It’s not an imposition, but a proposition. And one that you must consider personally, first.

The Radical Life is about a radical shift in your priorities. About how your family, marriage, work, neighbor, passions, habits and God should all fit into your busy life — and then doing something about it. It involves a radical shift in what is essential and most important in your life. Its fruits are peace, not violence. Freedom, not limits. Adventure, not boredom.

It’s the surest path to joy, meaning and purpose in your life.