A land of half measures

Perhaps a return to semi-regular blogging is in order?


It's often difficult to live in a land of half measures. To live in a place where nobody really loves anything or has true passion towards something. I love movies. I am passionate film and how it engages people. And yet, I don't know anyone who loves film like I do. I know people who enjoy movies and will sometimes come to my movie nights and others who really like film and will keep an eye on current films, but I don't think I know anyone who loves film. In fact, I'm not entirely sure I know people around me who have passion for anything in the same way as I have passion for movies. I don't mean that to sound arrogant, only that there is so few instances of people who pursue something or feel towards something a full measure of passion. The closest I can think of is people at Southeastern who are truly passionate for bringing the gospel to the world through mission work. The problem is, those people's passion is an active passion and they go and do it. They become church planters, missionaries, etc. I think that is fantastic, but it means that the passionate people around me (At least at Southeastern) don't really stay around.
It just seems to me that if you're passionate about something, if you truly love something and it truly means something to you, then it will make a daily difference in your life. You're going to act upon that which means the most to you (Matt.6:21). If a man loves his wife, then every day should be at least partially directed by that love. If a man passionately cares about his work, then his work should be driven, even in the minutia of it. Maybe that's why I don't see many full measure people around me. Maybe after being here almost 11 years, I've seen the full measure people come and go. Maybe full measure people don't lay roots in the intermediate stage. Maybe they, to quote the Avett Brothers, decide what to be and go be it. Maybe that could be me. Ultimately, Christ should be the definer of our (including my) measures. I think we so often become consumed in ourselves and our sin that living a half measure life is our fallback. It's easier to live without passion. It's easier to live in the halfways. Apathy is easier than love. But there is no Life there.