This one is a little bit of a cheat. It was actually a film that taught me this lesson, but I learnt it watching the film on TV, so in a way it’s the same thing.
The film is of course The Godfather and if I’m being fair you have to watch the first two to learn the lesson. Of course you don’t have to – I can just tell you now. Also you don’t have to watch the third one – it is a disappointment following the first two.
A key line in the movie or a running theme is to ensure that the actions of the Don is strictly business. What the film highlights and reflects well on the rest of life, is that nothing is strictly business without it being intensely personal. Efforts to keep things separate – like business and pleasure – always get messy, very messy. Success in all of life is dependent on passion. That passion is intensely personal. When we ‘win’ or ‘lose’ in life we take it personally – it’s not one of those things. Trying to get people to believe in that separation is the reason why relationships get messed up.
That applies to how we look to separate ‘church’ life to the rest of life. You know what I mean – Sunday Service civility, Monday morning moaner. If all of life is passion driven, we might as well combine it all and not split it apart. Work done out of passion makes it not onerous but a joy. Family life out of passion isn’t a heavy burden, it is a delight weighed with all the ups and downs. Church life – well that should be a part of all life. Enthused with the mission of Christ and passion from on high really every encounter is a potential word of instruction or admonition for you and your bros and sistren in Christ.
It is a phoney proposition to suggest that things are not personal – the whole business of life is intensely personal.
Just saying. That is all.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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