THOUGHTFULLY DRIVING THE PORCELAIN BUS

A Column by John S Schroeder

June 1, 2002

I have commonly been accused of expending too much passion and emotional energy on the church, and specifically the failings of the church. My writing in this space expresses that passion. My concerns have been known to keep me up at night. I will readily acknowledge that I am passionate about these things. But let's consider the question, "Am I too passionate?"

Answering that question requires first an examination of the true object of the passion. You see, I do not think I am passionate about the church -- I am passionate about Jesus. That is a big distinction. Passion, when associated with a thing of any sort whether it be an institution like the church or an actual object like a television set, can be over done. For example, many marriages have trouble because the husband is a little too passionate about football.

It is also possible, though less likely, to be too passionate about a person, but the hazards are different. When one is too passionate about a thing, it is generally a case of misplaced priorities. Passion, when invested in a person represents a risk that it may not be returned. Being too passionate about a thing risks hurting someone else, being too passionate about a person, risks hurting yourself.

At this point, the rejoinder often comes, "But John you write about the church, you get so angry about what happens therein, how can you claim passion for the Lord?" The answer to that is simple. The church acts in God's name, and when it fails, it damages that name. Those that are passionate about that name will naturally work vehemently to protect it.

This week marked the release of a new "Jack Ryan" movie. That meant all the older ones were on television, and I watch "Patriot Games." In that movie, our Mr. Ryan hurls himself, at great personal risk, into the middle of a terrorist bombing in London, saving the life of a member of the royal family, as well as protecting his own wife and child. When asked why he did it his answer was simple -- when they put his wife and child at risk, he became enraged, he operated on an almost instinctive level to protect that which he loved, i.e. that which he was passionate about.

That rage and the associated violence, are necessary components and expressions of the love that he has for his family. Passionate love is not the opposite of anger and violence as is so often thought today. This is a vitally important distinction in today's world.

Anger and violence when rooted in hatred are dangerous things to be destroyed. Anger and violence when rooted in love is a beautiful thing. Most people will take great exception to my characterizing anger and violence of any sort as 'beautiful,' but I mean what I say.

Consider Jesus as He tore apart the temple in Jerusalem. He was most assuredly angry and violent. Can you honestly say that at that point the Lord Creator of the universe ceased to be beautiful? I can't -- He defended His love of his Father, and that is a beautiful thing. I mourn for His pain, and find beauty in His willingness to protect God's name.

People who say anger and violence are always bad do not think clearly. Limiting anger necessarily limits love. If I am not permitted anger at those that threaten my wife, then that represents a limit on how much I can love my wife -- I cannot love her enough to defend her.

If I am not permitted to be angry with those that would damage the name of God, then the love I can have for God is limited. My love for God is not a place that I want limits.

I hear a great chorus out there saying that I have justified the actions of the Islamic terrorists. After all, are they not simply being angry with the West for threatening Allah? Are their actions not born out of love for the Prophet?

I think not. Their anger and actions are born out of hatred. Anger born out of love is first of all, not sneaky. Terrorism is an inherently sneaky act. War is an in your face sort of thing. Jesus did not enter the Temple late at night and plant a bomb. Jesus entered the temple when things were in full swing and told the people what He was about.

Secondly, anger and violence born out of love seeks only to protect the object of the love, it does not seek the destruction of the threat. If the threat refuses to stop threatening, then its destruction becomes necessary, but that destruction is not the objective. Our terrorists do not seek simply to protect themselves from us, they seek to destroy us, and thus their anger and violence are not justified.

Am I too passionate about all this church stuff? I don’t think so. Yes, I am angry. Yes, I am even prone to verbal violence. But I do not seek the destruction of the church. Rather I seek its growth into what God would have it be. I seek to shape it into something that glorifies the object of my true passion.

One more thing -- the kind of good passion we are discussing here carries with it a great deal of power. Twelve men armed with such passion changed the world. That's power.

With Love,