Light the Passion

Hey everyone! I am Courtney, and a good friend of David's (I hope lol he might argue that point). After weeks of telling I would post I have finally decided I should. I also realized why my blog wasn't working so now that I can finally do this again I am excited!

"I hope my passion is equal to the task"

The other night I was watching the movie the Prestige. If you haven't seen it, a basic non confusing way to explain it is this: After an illusion goes tragically wrong, two 19th century magicians engage in a bitter and potentially deadly rivalry. It truly is a wonderful movie but the quote above got me thinking.

"I hope my passion is equal to the task"

This is spoken in a point where one of the magicians is working to figure out the others secrets. Be is becomes increasingly harder to do. He continually says that he hopes that his desire and passion is strong enough to discover the secrets he is after.

But I started thinking. What is really passion? I mean how does one become passionate about something. For some of us it is a life choice, something that we would do no matter what. For me that is nursing. When I decided to become a nurse it was through a passion to help others. Even as I type this right now I am acting as a nurse. My grandfather had a heart cath about 3 hours ago and I am sitting here taking care of him and being his personal nurse. It comes to me naturally, and there have been a couple times that I have to remind myself that I am not the one getting paid, I can't go around answering call lights and helping patients. I strive daily to be the best I can be in my work and sometimes it overwhelms me but I still love it.

Passion is an amazing thing. It drives us as human beings. But what does that have to do with our spiritual journey. Well simple we are on our way to witness the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. And I am sure there is a more scholarly reason (which surprise there is, I will talk about it later) why it is called the Passion but I want to but my own ideas on it.

Jesus died for our sins. He knew thousand of years before I was born that I would need grace and forgiveness in my life. And boy was he right. His PASSION was to help those that need him. To help a world that was covered in sin. To save the souls and lives of those that will come after him. Jesus's Passion was and still is US! He gave himself to the cross so that all of humanity could be saved. Think about it, ALL of humanity, BILLIONS of people saved because of one mans actions.

I spent time trying to learn why we as Christians called it the Passion. Looking around I learned that Passion comes from the Greek word paschein or to suffer. Christ suffered for us. But look at the English translation of passion...

Passion: noun, A strong and barely controllable emotion.

Jesus had the uncontrollable emotions, He cried out for help, he experienced pain and torture that no earthly man should, all for us, all for his Father's Children. For we are the Children of God. Jesus's passion was equal, if not greater, then the task. His Passion for us was greater then the suffering he endured.

I challenge each and everyone of you that reads, during the time of Easter, look at the journey of Christ in a different way. Instead of looking at the Passion in a Greek style, seeing it as suffering and pain, look at the passion in the new definition, with strong and barely controllable emotions. With a love for us is incomparable.  Alter your views on what happened. You know I believe all of this is best explained with one line, one sentence that sums up the entire passion.......

"For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in him should not parish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

I would just like to end in a prayer like Dave.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the Passion of your Son, that through his suffering we can have everlasting life. Thank you for the love that you pour down upon us. Be with us as we prepare for the Passion of your Son and open our eyes to see past the hurt and the suffering, let us see the love and concern that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as for all of the people of the world. And God let us find our passion in this life, let is be one that praises you and all of your glory.
In your name we pray
Amen

Thank you and God Bless