Where Are The Passionate Men?

They are everywhere! Some are building dynamic careers…some are spectators/participants at various sporting events…some are in love…some are marching in the streets…some are pursuing the heinous and diabolic…some the quest of the next hilltop.

As Christian men we must be fearless about conducting what I will call a Personal Passion Assessment or PPA. You see the problem is that, as men, many things compete for our affections. These can become our passions and thus define our destiny. This is why it is imperative to identify our core passions so that we have the strength of passion depth to determine our manhood destiny. For most of us the inherent danger of having a poorly defined PPA results in our passions being spread “too thinly”…our quest ill defined.

There is a desperate call in the culture for genuine heroes. I believe this is a call for men infused with what I will call the warrior spirit. We need heroes and we have a hero deficit. The warrior spirit is simply, the passionate desire and determination in the heart of a man to prepare and perfect himself for the stance against evil in the service of others. Jesus Christ is of course our consummate example of the warrior spirit, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! The “warrior spirit” is in our DNA and it forms the desire in every little boy’s heart to be “a hero”. Incidentally, it is also God’s plan for man who He created in His image.

As for me I have but two core passions and they are best stated by one of the greatest warriors of all time. “While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.” George Washington, Commander in Chief, General Orders, Valley Forge, Saturday, May 2, 1778.

Keep in mind this was command guidance, not a suggestion, for warriors just coming out of a bitter and deadly winter encampment. Warriors who would soon be caught up in the grand quest of their destiny.

Where do your core passions lie? With the discipline of this alignment of my passions, the many complexities of life are greatly simplified. I can say “God and Country” with clarity, with conviction…with passion! My wife of 43 years knows that, when I declare this, she remains the object of my deepest affections. I can still get excited about a football game, a social issue, or grand child’s birthday. Most assuredly I remain an avid Chicago Cubs fan because I am sure they will be the World Series Champs…“next year!”

John R. “Barney” Barnes

10/26/2012