What's Your Passion?
Recently I heard of a man who had taken football supporting to the next level.
He was a Pompey fan and had changed his name by deed poll to Mr. John
Portsmouth Football Club Westwood; and this in addition to the fact that his
entire body is covered with tattoos of the PFC badge. Although I like my
football too (just don't ask me how Reading are doing at the moment!) it
seems a shame that John's single-minded devotion is being directed towards
something so relatively unimportant as football. But, of course, he's not
the only one! There are 'fanatics' everywhere - people who spend their
entire lives devoting themselves to collecting every 'Happy Meal' toy
ever made or to attending Star Trek conventions all around the globe. Perhaps,
though, that's how the general public look at 'religious' people
(like me?) who seemingly spend their lives just going to church services and
trying not to break too many rules.
On 16th March the first in a short drama series is being broadcast on BBC1. It's entitled 'The Passion' and over the next seven nights it will depict the events of the week that led up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. At the centre of the story is Jesus - an amazing man, but by no means a 'religious fanatic'. In fact part of Jesus' problem was that he broke the rules and got into serious trouble with the religious authorities. His only crime was to heal people, to feed people, to educate people and to change people's lives.
In the society in which we live our passions are most likely to be self-indulgent - but the latin root of the word 'passion' is 'passus', meaning 'to suffer'. That is why the 'passion of Christ' is so powerful - Jesus was a man who not only lived with singleminded devotion for others, but someone who was willing to die for them too! If Christians are really to follow in Jesus' footsteps, then we too are called to be singleminded; but the Bible is clear, God isn't interested in empty religion and ritual. He calls us to be devoted to the cause of the oppressed, to standing against injustice, to feeding the hungry and to sharing good news.
Imagine with me what would be possible if we were all willing to be as passionate as that Portsmouth fan about these really important issues. The cross of Good Friday reminds us that there is a cost to such devotion, but the empty tomb of Easter Sunday is a sign of ultimate hope - that one day all that is wrong with this world will be put right! Our Easter Exhibition this year will be about 'Hope', and will offer some very practical ways of becoming part of the solution to the issues that our world is facing. There will be a fairtrade Easter Egg hunt for the children, as well 24 hours of prayer which is being organised by our young people. Do come and look around the exhibition or let us know if there are any situations that you would like us to pray for. We have a 'prayer box' in the Chapel, or you can call us, write to us, email us, or send a prayer request direct from our website.