A Passionate Perspective

For some reason “passion” has come into my day and I take notice of things that repeat themselves to me. A friend is writing a blog on living a passionate life. Another is talking about being passionate in the way she expresses her faith that’s different from “those fanatics.” Another is finishing a study of the words of the prophets of the Bible and trying to take in the level pathos expressed.
I believe that one of the claims of the whole Bible is that God is passionate, and I also think God calls us to be passionate. Whether he’s telling us that the blood of Abel is crying out of the ground or he’s telling us that he is creating a new heaven and a new earth for people of this earth, God’s heart is revealed as engaged.
Most people are a bit unsure about passion, but it is where life is found. “Life” like that abundant, flowing, jubilant, exciting and demonstrative element in living a life worth living… has this fountain of passion at its core. In different cultures, societies and at different times in the history of humanity passion expressed has felt normal and appropriate. At other times there has been a movement toward reservation, control and moderation in all things. Where are we now? I’m wondering if we’re in a time of people trying to regulate passion – like we can make a call on whether it was appropriate or not in other people’s lives. That’s too much.
There may be a lot of ways to describe passion but for my money there’s one primary expression of passion – showing up… and doing that regularly. I don’t believe we have to be emotional gushers to express deep passion. I find that with God as well.
I don’t think there’s any more revealing expression of the heart of God as an outpouring of a shredded heart than the words of the prophets. God’s broken heart is verbally displayed throughout. But I also think there nothing more true in revealing of God’s heart than the act of Jesus. He came. And that’s the depiction of the God we serve. He shows up and shows up and shows up again.
In one of Jesus’ parables a widow shows up to a corrupt judge begging for justice and without the wherewithal to bribe him. I’ve heard all sorts of concocted notions of trying to explain this parable, including Luke telling us that it’s to teach us to be persistent in prayer. What this suggests is that God is like a corrupt judge. But what if God is like a passionate widow without the resources to bride our corrupt hearts into hearing her pleas. What if we’re like a corrupt judge who thinks we have the right to decide and really want to receive a prize for doing it regardless of what’s justice? The parable makes a lot more sense to me in that direction. God shows up and shows up and shows up and we get the chance to provide God with justice.
God is the one who is persistent in prayer, in requesting justice, help and hope. God is the one who provides us with the example of seeking a bending of our heart and will. God is the one who expresses her passion by simply being at hand and not letting go.
Makes me think about the lives in which I need to be seen so that those people can know my heart.
Blessings,
Geoff

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