The eCrozier

The place God calls you is the place where your deep passion and the world’s hunger meet. – Frederick Buechner

I know many of us have trouble with what Buechner wrote. Some of us were schooled to believe that if we were passionate about anything and did something about it, then we would no doubt have to confess it to a priest before receiving the sacrament! This view of our humanity is certainly supported by both the Scriptures and our experience. Our passions can lead us to sin, to be sure.

As your Bishop, I am mindful of what Gregory the Great wrote: “All who are superiors should consider in themselves not the authority of their rank but the equality of their condition, and to rejoice not to be over persons but to do them good.” I in truth share the same condition with all of you: a sinner. There is no debate about that for any of us. It is simply the God’s-honest-truth, as my Granddaddy used to say.

But we are more than our sin. As we wear grace and as St Thomas Aquinas would call it, put on the Habitus of Grace, we are better able to live into God’s dream for our lives and for the life of the world. As we wear the habit of grace we can come to understand that God can use our passions, longings, and interests to further the work of the Kingdom. Rather than always seeing our passions as avenues for sin, we can also see them as opportunities to serve God more deeply. Here is just one example of what I am getting at: a friend of mine in North Carolina was an avid deer hunter. He also knew there were hungry people in Durham. So he organized it so his fellow hunters would donate their venison to our local soup kitchen. A passion for hunting brought forth the feeding of hungry people.

Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, said of the priesthood that it was “to be with God, with the people on your heart.” As leaders of our congregations, we should know our people’s passions, those that can lead them astray, to be sure, but also those that if focused could accomplish great things for the Kingdom. I urge you to find some way (appropriate to your context) to discover the passions of your people. In so doing, you may discover new avenues for living the Gospel in your congregation.

+Scott