Passion

Reflection: 

Passion is defined as “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.” In other words, passion often leads to action. And passionate action for the right things is a good thing - be it for good causes and work toward justice for people, places, and situations we’d want to see in a better place and in healthier conditions.

Our Gospel reading this week comes from the very end of what we know as Jesus’ “passion.” It is a text usually read during Holy Week so it may seem a little out of place. But it is good to keep His passion ever before us –both the suffering he endures and the end goal for a forgiven and healed world.

Christ’s passion was for us a vision for a Kingdom for which He was willing to suffer, to lay down his life and give up his very self. That passion came to fruition on the cross. That passion gained greater vision in the Resurrection. That passion was passed on to us – his church – to work toward - by the power of the Spirit - its full conclusion.

What in the life of our church are you passionate about? What, in the end, do we hope to accomplish and leave behind, confident that the passionate work we’ve finished is ready to pass on to the next generation? What might we give up and give over in order for that to happen?