He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? (Mark 8: 34-37)

There are several Greek words for life. One of the most common - and often used by Jesus - is zoe. This means alive, animate; it also implies an active, virgorous, and fulfilling life. Zoe is a favorite of the Gospel of John.

Above Jesus is quoted as using the Greek psuche which is much closer to our contemporary understanding of soul. Psuche is breath, feelings, affections, and desires: that which motivates us. The synoptic gospels prefer psuche to zoe.

Anticipating - or rather inspiring - Shakespeare, Jesus outlines the Faustian bargain. What is our soul worth? By what do we choose to be motivated? To what are we attracted? What is our destination, our goal, and our completion?

We can subordinate, neglect, and ignore the soul, but we cannot give it away. It is not ours to give. Our soul is of God. We have nothing worthwhile with which to trade with God. Our soul remains wholly and always of the same substance as God.

The soul seeks the wholeness of God. In other aspects of our life we can struggle after other outcomes. We have been given the freedom to do so. But other outcomes will remain insufficient and unsatisfactory. The tug of the soul is consistent and persistent.