So I am watching the Academy awards on Sunday as you knew I would. I even waited through the boring sections to see who will take away what. (First time I did that) Since we just began our study of managing “talent” at church that morning I was more than a motivated viewer. You see, one of the things we introduced in our study of talent is “passion”. I like to call it “the fire in the belly”. It transcends a mere gifted person into an unstoppable force. It makes you almost invincible because of the single minded determination it empowers you with. “Passion” is a gift given to us by God to fan the flames of purpose. I think of “Avatar” over ten years in the making, or of “Precious” seven years in the making with all the discouragement in between. Yet they came to the screen because some Director, Producer, writer or other creative force of a person had a vision and would not let it die.

Now I am a talented writer and feel deeply about it. I have several books at different stages of development but they are  unfinished and doubtful. Like so many people I lack the passion in that area of writing that I have in others. My greatest passion is teaching God’s word and serving people. I love helping people and I do it best by teaching them. I am most effective in small group settings. Whenever this passion intersects with my secondary passion of writing one or the other looses and usually it’s the writing. I have four other passions and some hobbies, quite frankly I can’t always tell the difference. I love politics, business, sports, movies, reading and television. Oh and occasionally, I like to work! I love working with my hands, building things, it feels more like work than what I do on a daily basis.

The thing about passion is that it is not just a driving force but a directional force as well. It seems God has built into us a directional compass so we can recognize what we are meant to do by our passions. So when I was watching the awards on Sunday, in the midst of the boring middle,  when all the unknown members and categories of the movie business was recognized, I kept wondering why all these people were so excited about winning these obscure awards. The answer is “passion”, the thing that gives us the ability to love what others find unlovable or unworthy. We watched the movie Amelia on Monday, the story of Legendary Female pilot Amelia Earhart, who lost her life in the pacific while attempting to fly around the world. Talk about passion! With all the dangers before her, she determined to make a trip that everyone else thought to be a waste of time and energy.

How wonderful it must have been to die as she had lived, pursuing her passion for flying. Maybe that part of what’s wrong with us, we lack the passion to live as we are mandated. We are passionate about many things, most of which has nothing to do with why we are here. We are shackled by the defining values of the world and trapped in its conformity. We are consumers of the passions which Hollywood evokes in us and bravo to them because we have no passions of our own. Unlike those who reverence the most insignificant of the gifts, among them because of their value to the process. We trample upon the gifts, abilities and passions God have given us with which we are to establish His Kingdom’s rule. It’s not just those with offices, titles and letters or those who hold the microphones and stand in front of the camera who have value in the Kingdom. We need not snuff out the passion of God’s people because of our insecurity or egos.

On Thursday I had lunch with a young minister and his wife. I can’t remember all that they said but they spoke with “passion”. I did not tell them this but it’s our little secret. They will be victorious and successful in ministry because despite setbacks, like Amelia they have “passion.”

 “It’s just a thought.”

EF

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