Passion permitted

I am sick to my stomach with anxiety. It is half-time during the most important game in college basketball... and my team is up by only one point.

It doesn't take long for people to know that I am passionate about Duke basketball. I watch all the games religiously, I wear the shirts, I know the chants, I bash the Tarheels. I bleed blue... Duke blue. Whether we are winning or losing, I never waver in that loyalty, and I have faith in the fact that we will eventually prevail.

If you are a true sports fan, you understand this concept. This passion. This unwavering commitment.

I have often heard this commitment and loyalty criticized. Is it wrong to feel so strongly about a team? Is it wrong to care so much about winning? I dont know, but the way I see it, we could all use a little more passion in our lives.

I have been talking a lot with folks recently about this concept of passion, or lack thereof. It is rare to see true passion in people outside of a sports arena. What if we were all as passionate about serving others as we were about sports? What if we went to a homeless shelter religiously, wore the shirts, knew the chants, and jumped up and down yelling about loving and serving others. What if we gave as much thought, time, and money (gasp!) to the poor, the sick, the broken... as we do to our sports teams? What if we gave as much thought and time to our families and friends? Our community?

What if we bashed injustice, prejudice, and poverty as much as we bashed our rivals? What if, instead of bleeding blue (or whatever color your team is), we bled kindness and hospitality?

Friends, I believe in passion. Unwavering, committed passion. On the basketball court... and, more importantly, off of it.