Passio

Nowadays, we often hear the word "passion" being spoken in many Christian events. It seems that the current definition means somewhere in the lines of "something I really feel excited about", or "something that I am emotionally attached to", or "something that I have the heart for".

I think these explanations are not bad, but they are not quite complete. And whenever someone uses the word "passion" in sentences like "I feel passion for this..." or "I am passionate about this ministry...", I am slightly bothered because many times the word "passion" is not fully understood.

Passion comes from the latin passio which simply means "suffering". The reason why the suffering of Christ on the cross is called the passion of the Christ is simply because passion means suffering. A similar usage is found in Acts 1:3 with the KJV, the greek "pathos" is translated into passion, while NIV translates it into suffering.

To have passion is to be willing to suffer, and this is accompanied with strong emotions. The catch is to not rely on emotions, because when discouragements and trials come, it will not persists. It is about willingness.

This is just my personal choice, so whenever I use this word I can't take it lightly because to have passion for God means that you are willing to suffer for His sake. And that is not an easy path, but I believe it is the right one.

"The passion of Christ is the victory of divine love over the powers of evil, and therefore it is the only supportable basis for Christian obedience. Once again, Jesus calls those who follow him to share his passion. How can we convince the world by our preaching of the passion when we shrink from that passion in our own lives? On the cross Jesus fulfilled the law he himself established and thus graciously keep his disciples in the fellowship of his suffering." - The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer


Another example, is that the word "passion" can be used to refer to the strong emotions a man feels about his wife. To really have passion for your wife means that you are willing to suffer for her, in the same way Jesus loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).