I would normally consider myself a pasionate person. Most people who know me, and probably all who know me well, would most likely agree. I get excited about things, I get emptional, I like to experience as much as there is to experience in any situation.
There are other people even more passionate than me, people who's every word drips with meaning and desie and emotion. Their every action is motivated by the object of their devotion, be it an idea, a task, a person, anything.
Is it possible to live continuously at that level of passion? Is passion more than just a response to an emotional desire.
I think of children. There are times when a child will be so consumed with passion for their parent that he or she will burst into heartfealt sobs if the parent tries to leave their side. This is no emotional manipulation (sometimes), it is the result of their passionate love and devotion to that parent. However, there are other times when a parent could be trying (even to the point of bribing) that same child for any sign of affection or any bit of attention.
Does that mean that the passion the child has for the love of the parent is only a temporary thing?
I think of my relationship with my fiance (67 days to the wedding). I am passionately in love with him, there are days when I can not get him out of my thoughts, when I feel the only way I will be content is to see his smile, to be close to him. There are other days when I don't have that same desire to see and experience him, but I feel just as passionately in love.
So what is passion? Must we be continually in a state of exaustive and despterate emotion in order to say that we are passionate about something?
I am passionate about God. There are times when I can not take abreath without saying a prayer of thanks for the very fact that I am alive. Other times, I don't nesicarily feel my passion. THere were times when I would punish myself and feel horrible for having lost my passion for God. Then it would return, and all would be right in the world.
My perspective is changing. Perhaps it is not always necisary to feel such extreme emotion in order to be passionate about something. My devotion, my intense love, my passion (minus the emotion of which) does not change. I just find it near impossible to sustain such a heightened emotional response for any length of time.
1 comment:
Emotion or empericism (I believe it because I experience it) is a huge influence in today's culture. Yet, to use it as the plumb line for our passion, would be a gross error, for reasons, you've already stated. It seems the mentality of "I have to feel this way all the time" could be the very cause of apathy that stirs in us today. I can't feel this way all the the time, so why should I even try?!
Our goal cannot be the emotion or the heightened experience our goal must be our object. If that makes sense.
I think a fair question to ask ourselves, when we question our passion is "Do I really wanna do this anymore?" If our heart still says the faintest yes then the passion is still there. If our heart groans at the thought of another moment then our passion is somewhere else.
For clairity sake when I say "heart" I am referring to our will (what we want).
P.S. There I commented
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