To have passion is to have strong feelings about something. It exudes an intensity that often makes others uncomfortable. It consumes us – our time, our money, our energy, our creativity. We are more familiar with the object of our passion than with anything else. We praise it, write about it, read about it, talk with friends about it, attend its showings or events. It compels us & motivates us. It drives us to unusual sacrifices and is attended with the utmost enthusiasm. It knows no moderation, luke-warmness, restraint, or self-consciousness.
One of the most significant of our contemporary choruses says:
Give me one pure and holy passion;
Give me one magnificent obsession;
Give me one glorious ambition for my life –
To know and follow hard after you!
When I inspect Christianity, it often seems less like a passion than it does a pursuit. But someone in pursuit of something has yet to lay hold of it. Passion halts our pursuit and commences our feeding frenzy. If I were to evaluate Christ's devotees by their devotion and then tally the sum, few would make the cut. I'm not sure if I would make the cut.
How can we be so measured? What is dignity when it comes to Christ? An older gospel song said:
To write the love of God above
Would drain the oceans dry;
Nor could a scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Superlatives fail us! Finitude stands in our way! The zeal of our best days has not yet "eaten us up."
One of the most significant of our contemporary choruses says:
Give me one pure and holy passion;
Give me one magnificent obsession;
Give me one glorious ambition for my life –
To know and follow hard after you!
When I inspect Christianity, it often seems less like a passion than it does a pursuit. But someone in pursuit of something has yet to lay hold of it. Passion halts our pursuit and commences our feeding frenzy. If I were to evaluate Christ's devotees by their devotion and then tally the sum, few would make the cut. I'm not sure if I would make the cut.
How can we be so measured? What is dignity when it comes to Christ? An older gospel song said:
To write the love of God above
Would drain the oceans dry;
Nor could a scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Superlatives fail us! Finitude stands in our way! The zeal of our best days has not yet "eaten us up."
hay,Bruce great article, i can idenify with it. your point comes through loud and clear. thanks for setting passion and pursuit perspective.
ReplyDeletei also wonder if i make the cut