Passion and Purpose

Lately I have been thinking about my 22 year old friend that recently died. I have known him since I was 2 years old. As we got older we had different circles and went to different schools, but to some extent we grew up together. Nic was a stud on the local high school football team, and was generally very popular. Nic loved life, and he spent many of his days trying to make other people laugh. Nic knew God, but I feel like Nic was searching for purpose in his life, and I am not sure that he every connected the relevance of Christianity to finding purpose in life. On the other hand, maybe he did, in which case I feel like the traditions of our church society may have masked how exciting Christianity can be. Unfortunately, we often mask the excitement of Christianity that we are actually called too. I struggle with this, and often do it myself. Recently school and work have overwhelmed me, and I have allowed the mundane to master me, rather than allowing my master to master the mundane.

Sometimes I feel like our greatest sin is being comfortable. If it is not a sin, it certainly is not what God calls us to. Many of us desire to make a difference in our world, but when it comes to doing so we are afraid of change, and equally afraid of discomfort. Nic was searching to fill voids in his life, just as many of us do. Nic was at a stage in life where he was defining who he would be, and what his passions would be. He was searching for exhilaration and purpose. The church and maybe Christianity in general, loses many, many people that are Nic’s age. Some come back and some don’t, but maybe the reason they leave is because they are searching for something that will make life exhilarating, something that will help them to know passion in life.

Nic was passionate about football; he tried surfing and bull riding, and then became a firefighter. Nic was searching for something to be passionate about! It makes me wonder this: Is a person more likely to be turned off from Christianity because we present a Christianity that is traditional, building-oriented, and comfortable; or is a person more likely to be turned off from Christianity because we present a Christianity that requires discomfort, change, and passion?

At first thought one might think that someone would be turned off from a Christianity that is radical, but it might be possible that thousands leave because they are searching for something to be radical and passionate about! It is hard for us to think about Christianity like this because we have allowed church to evolve into something that is not only comfortable for us, but also comfortable for those that we are trying to bring to Christianity, and quite frankly we are……comfortable with this. I know I am. I am scared about being a business professional that is passionate about his Christianity, and in many ways I am intimidated by secular society. In this way I have allowed for the mundane to master me, rather than allowing my master to be the master of the mundane.

There is no doubt in my mind that God calls us to a Christianity that is exciting. In John 10:10, Jesus said that he came that we might have an abundant life! What I do have doubts about is how I, how we all, try to enjoy this abundant life despite being afraid of what we might truly be called to. We try to find comfort in this world when we should allow God to be our comforter. We try to fashion our faith after that of the 1st century church, but the 1st century church was not comfortable. In the midst of persecution and sorrow their passion was spreading the gospel and serving the needy.

I had a friend that went to a downtown area in a large city on the weekends to be with and minister to homeless people. Another couple I know actually took in a homeless person and offered him love and support until he decided on his own to move on. My dad and some of his Christian friends helped a man and his family get off the streets and into a home. They helped furnish the home and minister to him in many other ways. These situations are uncomfortable, yet exciting!

If we love God with all our hearts we will serve him like there is no tomorrow and suddenly the traditions that mask Christianity will become irrelevant, and we will find passion again. If we find passion again, then we can help people like Nic to find a Christianity that is passionate. We must be aware that this may look different the Christianity we have known.