Well, let me think about the meaning of passionate. Some see it as being related to love and romance or even a hedonistic form of romance. Others see it as some cause that you might have strong feelings about, such as global warming. Then, perhaps some simply see it as what your hobbies are. Someone might have a passion for golf 😀.
Many years ago, I remember going to hear St John’s Passion at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. That was a musical work by Bach, based on the sufferings of Christ as featured in John’s gospel. Clearly, the origin of the word passion is suffering. Over time, the term expanded to encompass intense emotions and deep enthusiasm. So it can be a mix of joy and pain. Even the sufferings of Jesus had an element of joy:
Heb 12:1-2
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3
What was the joy? It was that he was securing the salvation of all those who would trust in him, and they would share eternity with him.
Now let me think of what I’m genuinely passionate about. I could say Jesus and my Christian faith, but that has been part of my life for the last 45 years. It brings me peace, which doesn’t seem to sit well with passion.
When I think of the word “passionate” I think of something that I long for and that’s out of my grasp or something that temporarily puts me in an intense emotional state. Let’s say, as a teen, I have a magical crush on a girl that’s way out of my league. Or, as a child, I see a toy that I long for in a shop window that’s way too expensive. I think of when Bozo the Clown came to the Palace Cinema in Cork back in 1970 to promote PG Tips tea. The show was free, but my mother didn’t want me to go for some reason. Then I started crying. I vividly remember my breathing pattern as I tried to stop crying. Then she said “sure, you can go”, and I went. I don’t know why I wanted to go so badly, but that captures passion for me, and it’s one of my few memories from 1970 😀. Nowadays, I must confess, I rarely feel that passionate about anything. I’ve lived a life that’s full, I’ve travelled each and every highway 😀. But I sometimes long to be more like great Christians such as William Cowper, who wrote O for a Closer Walk with God. He struggled with depression and emotional turmoil. So many great works have been accomplished by people who were passionate because they struggled in life. Like most people, I struggle, but I suspect that my struggles are nothing compared to what some people face.
But the two main things that excite me are my Christian faith and music. I’ve always loved music, and psalms and hymns combine music with faith. For example, More about Jesus is about yearning for a deeper relationship with Jesus. That has passion, lyrically anyway, whatever about the music.
I enjoy getting to know the Bible, and I enjoy remembering the music that I’ve been introduced to throughout my life. Music is amazing because someone could argue that it serves no practical purpose, but it touches us so deeply, at least me. Maybe some people aren’t big into music.
I totally enjoy all sorts of Christian music. Currently I’m trying to become more familiar with 21st Century worship songs. For a long time, I was very disinclined to listen to them. Even when I was a good bit younger, though I liked pop and rock music, I saw modern Christian music as being a bit cheesy. But now I’m trying to shake off my prejudice and listen, in the hope of getting to enjoy them.
And the question also gets me thinking about what secular songs are genuinely passionate.
A notable example is Sinead O’Connors, Nothing Compares to You. She famously cried while singing it on video. She said that she was thinking about her deceased mother rather than the subject of the song. It’s a good example of how our emotions don’t necessarily map exactly to the lyrics of a song. It might be just the music or the memories that they evoke.
I find the Manic Street Preachers particularly interesting in this respect. To the best of my knowledge, they are atheists, but they seem to have the emotion that I associate with Welsh evangelicalism. It would be great if Christian groups could capture their passion.
Anyway, here are two videos, one by the Manic Street Preachers, and one that I was exploring just yesterday. Both, in their own way, are full of passion. Design for Life, from 1996, appears to be about working class pride or whatever. I don’t understand that, but the song always touches me emotionally. I only heard Forever for the first time yesterday. The lyrics are much more meaningful to me. And musically, it does capture passion. Hopefully, at some stage it will touch me as deeply musically as Design for Life does.
Hibernia Gospel 