Passion

Last week I attended a Lifetime yoga class with my roommate, Megan. As some of you know may know, I am not the most flexible person…I consistently failed at the “Presidential Fitness” test in gym class because I was below the 20^th percentile for sit-n-reach, I can’t touch my toes, and my knees point to the sky when I sit cross-legged. I’ve been attending yoga with the goal of increasing my flexibility to prevent injury. This does not make me a “Star Student” of yoga, nor does it make my experience all that enjoyable. During one of the hip stretches that I was already squirming in, the instructor decided he would “enhance” my experience by holding me in the position and adding a little more pressure. I felt so anxious and trapped in the position, but could do nothing about it. The instructor kept repeating, “Don’t give in, or you will miss out on the experience.” Later on, I reflected on the potential missed experience when I try to escape any sort of suffering and recognized the connection between suffering and valuable experiences.

I had a workout Easter morning. I was supposed to run a 5-mile threshold. My brother-in-law, Jeff, came with me. He ran about a step ahead of me, pulling me along. I didn’t check my pace, but I stayed relaxed and focused on running smooth. The yoga instructor’s comment came into my mind: “Don’t miss out on this experience.” When we were done, I checked my pace and was very encouraged; I have not felt that smooth in a threshold before. The 5 miles of fighting fatigue were quickly forgotten, and we both celebrated a great start to our Easter. I can’t even describe the grateful feeling I had, and was so happy I got to share it with my brother-in-law. I think we can all relate to the moments that we are reinforced with a good workout, race, or life experience.

The next day, my mom shared the church bulletin with a reflection by Father Tom Wilson about Passion. His reflection helped me to relate my own workout on Sunday, and my training as an athlete in general, with Christ’s suffering and his own glory!  Fr. Wilson points out that the Webster definition of passion is “a suffering, especially that of Christ.” In general we think of passion as something with a much more glamorous and comfortable connotation. I confidently say that I have a passion for running; I love to train and compete, and to see the potential that I can reach. We all want to pursue our passions, but forget that there is almost always suffering that accompanies the glory in our passion. It was so appropriate to have the workout I had on Easter morning. After I had endured a hard 5 miles of focusing and fatigue, I enjoyed the thrill of feeling encouraged and the rush of endorphins. In a similar way, yet much more extreme, we refer to Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and death as the Passion of Christ. Jesus Christ had to die on the Cross and endure the penalty for all of our sins so that he could truly receive glory in his resurrection. Something so wonderful could not have occurred without the accompaniment of suffering.

With this Easter message in mind, I want to truly embrace suffering and frustration involved in pursuing my passion of running so that I really don’t “miss out on the experience.” If Christ had not endured his suffering, he would never have saved us all from our sins and been glorified in his resurrection and seated at the right hand of God. The value of the experience may not be immediately apparent in our suffering, but I want to relate to Christ’s suffering and celebrate his glory in my own life. As an athlete, I think one way I can do this is to endure hardships and be disciplined, with a trust that there is a value and a purpose in it that will help me to know Christ more. Apparently the season of Easter is 50 days long. During this time, I hope to really focus on the celebration of Passion in my life, particularly on the link between suffering and glory!

“Endure hardships with me as a good servant of Jesus Christ.” 2 Tim 2:3