A Passion for Christ Part I

A Passion for Christ – Part I

In a previous life as a graduate admission professional, I had a chance, rewarding conversation with a prospective student.  She applied to the English Education program.  She had two great job opportunities.  She worked in the corporate publishing world in which she was earning a considerable income.  She stood to progress in this field and make even more money over time.  Yet, her heart greatly and fiercely desires to teach adolescents and open their minds to the wonders and joys of classic and contemporary literature.  She greatly desired to make the “right” decision.  She asked my advice about her decision.  How should she determine whether to stay in publishing or transition to her heartfelt vocation?

I encouraged her to consider how passion affects achievement, success and excellence.  I suggested she think about where she would be after ten years in each field.  As a publishing executive, undoubtedly, she would make a lot of money.  If editing no longer sustained her inner person, she would dislike publishing; the amount of her pay check would not compensate for the daily grudge of an unfulfilling job.  But, teaching and her love of literature would pay spiritual, emotional and personal dividends rarely captured in one’s salary. 

When you work out of your passion, excellence is a virtual certainty.  Success comes naturally.  You develop a superlative proficiency in your field.  You work without even considering it work.  Like an artist taken hostage by creativity, a passionate person works for hours without even realizing the passage of time.  It is said, “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”  Additionally, people in their chosen fields usually always receive promotion and distinction.

Consequently, I advised this woman to contemplate the possibilities of writing her own books, developing a new curriculum, being promoted to the head of department, obtaining a principal position and setting the standard for teaching high school literature.  These probabilities are the rewards of passion.  In contrast, she could stay in corporate publishing only to find herself seriously disillusioned and unable to free herself from the money.  Essentially, passion yields its own intangible yet incalculable compensation.

In his national bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren posits a purposeful life contains passion and focus.  These two attributes influence our goals and choices in life.  Rarely does money in and of itself satisfy, even in very large sums.  The woman mentioned above was only one of many persons whom I counseled in ten years in undergraduate and graduate admissions.  I spoke with countless lawyers, bankers, and corporate types who had become imprisoned to high salaries.  In their hearts, they did not care to spend their time and talents in those fields.  Teaching and mentoring provided attractive alternatives and possibilities of far greater rewards.  Actually, one banker with whom I spoke rejoiced when she lost her job in a merger.  She said, “God did for me what I could not do for myself.  I knew ten years ago that all I wanted to do is teach high school English.  But, I could not pull myself away from the money.”  Today, she is fulfilling her heart’s desire as she opens the treasure chest of Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Charles Dickens, Homer and Shakespeare to students.  The payment of passion most definitely surpasses banking and corporate America.  Her honesty and willingness to pursue her passion give her a purposeful life.

History and contemporary life are replete with examples of passionate people.  Their lives teach us the importance of spirituality in the use of time and talent.  The late Professor John Hope Franklin endlessly recorded the African-American experience through his historical writings.  Thousands of failures in the laboratory did not disillusion Thomas Alva Edison.  His passion fueled his resilience.  We are the beneficiaries of his dedication to experimentation.  Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, contemporaries in the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, shared a passion for the fulfillment of citizenship and human rights for people of color in America.  Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson passionately believed the government worked best when it meets the needs of the most vulnerable citizens in society.  Mother Clara Hale, who operated homes for AIDS babies in Harlem, fervently believed that all children were God’s children and accordingly deserved love and care.  Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer insisted that all persons regardless of their level of education or socio-economic status had a contribution to make to the struggle for freedom in United States.  Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota championed the causes of poor and working families.  Mary McLeod Bethune fought for the expansion of public education for all Americans.  The passion with which the singer and artist, Patti LaBelle, delivers a performance leads thousands to flock to her concerts.  The Mighty Sparrow, the king of calypso, demonstrates equal zeal in his singing.  All of these people personify the perfection and productivity that results when passion and discipline cohere within character.