SIMPLE PASSION

I've heard that people just don't care anymore. Older folks seem concerned about the interests (or lack of them) of younger folks. S.I. Hayakawa was a Professor of English at San Francisco State College, and later a U.S. Senator for California. He collaborated with the staff at Funk and Wagnalls on a modern guide to synonyms. He states that passionate and impassioned, both drawn from a word meaning to suffer, are commonly used to describe intense states of desire, dedication, or conviction. Fervent, like impassioned, implies being filled with abiding feelings. Zealous is more applicable to dedication than desire. It applies to an unwavering adherence to a set of beliefs or attitudes. He states that simple refers to something that is not complicated or intricate and is therefore capable of being quickly grasped by the mind. Easy, on the other hand, points to that which requires little effort. Simplified means rendered less difficult and thus able to be more easily understood, performed, or used. It means reducing to the bare essentials. I'm suggesting that a lack of passion in any endeavor may often be due to a complicated process. It is also probable that those that are in charge are also passionate and may feel a need to create intricate steps to be sure the process is not made less important by it's simplification. Both of these lead to frustration when applied to or imposed upon others. When applied to traditional activities, even generational understanding is threatened. What's this all mean? Stay with me.

Life has become more complicated during my lifetime, and a review of history says that it has been exponential. Knowledge not only grew at unheard of rates, but with the availability of the internet, is able to be shared almost instantly (by the way, it wasn't too many decades ago that was being said about libraries). Value is sometimes misinterpreted as complexity. A process is a systematic series of actions directed to some end. Sometimes it's a series of changes designed to take place in a specific manner. For many, an important process has a high level of complexity. Simplicity, however, is making a comeback. It stands out when everything around it is complex. Google has made billions with a complex search engine that unlike their competitors had a simple front page with only about 40 words. Passion can be expressed easier when the process is easy to understand, or it's so user friendly that all the focus is on the intense desire and little is tied to the systematic steps. In other words passion can be unleashed for all ages when the focus is simple. Billy Graham spoke to millions around the world but didn't spend time on deep theology, other than the simple gift of salvation that was the theme of his ministry. People care about what they understand. If you are in charge of a process, simplify, simplify, simplify. If you're not in charge but are confused, go back to the basics. This is true in business settings, ministries, or your personal life.

A recent USA Today had an article titled Evangelical: Can the E-Word be saved? Despite the obvious play on words, it asked a troubling question. George Barna has found that while 38% of Americans call themselves evangelical, only 9% agree with evangelical beliefs and 1 out of 4 has not even accepted Christ as their savior. The term has become so diluted and covers such a wide spectrum of beliefs that it no longer communicates or identifies ideas, leaders, or programs. The same can obviously be said for Christian, Fundamentalist, and other names. Paul proclaimed in 1st Corinthians 2:2 "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified". Jesus spoke in simple parables about complicated subjects. Mark chapter 4 says " He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. And he did not speak to them without a parable...". The verse that follows John 3:16 says "For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him". When he commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, it was a simple statement but with deep meaning. Earlier I mentioned that the word passion came from suffering. The suffering is the gap between what is desired and what exists. If you don't care about what exists it doesn't bother you that it so so different than what should be. Mel Gibson produced a movie entitled "The Passion of the Christ". The intense state of desire that Jesus demonstrated on the cross to make a way for our righteousness was the ultimate passion. Yet, the free gift of salvation he offers because of it is very simple. Believe on the Lord, Jesus, Christ and you will be saved. Simple Passion. Don't let the complexity of modern life confuse you in what you do or how you live. That wisdom will live long after I'm gone. When our son was in T-ball the Coach asked them to play with reckless abandon. This morning's devotional from Oswald Chambers said Christians should proclaim the Gospel with reckless abandon. The Christian word for that is revival. In all things, forget the complexity of the issue and approach it with simple passion!!!