It’s back to work after getting home Wednesday night from driving back from Nashville. I have to express that I almost missed out from the Passion 06 experience by a hair’s breadth.
First I had to fight the prevalent paradigms of work-and-deadline addiction at my job to get just two days off, which by a miracle I managed to get. Then last Sunday had me scrambling to finish writing mini-essays for my Perspectives final exam and being assailed by the season obligatory head-cold and stuffy nose. After putting my finished exam in the mail and lying on my futon about mid-afternoon, I was ruminating that God didn’t need my works nor my effort in order to accomplish His plans, and surely Passion would be a success with or without my participation– after all I was feeling pretty exasperated and under the weather, and all of the other minutiae of life from family issues to work to whatever to justify sitting this event out. I even called Wendy and told her that I was going to be a no-show. Then, about 3pm I decided against all measure of sensibilities to gather up some travel accessories and clothes, plopped them in my car, and prayed that I could get up to Nashville without drowsing off.

Well, by the grace of God, some Motrin and Airborne Defense tablets, I arrived at Nashville and checked in at the volunteer booth around 7:30, and then promptly found a hotel lobby couch and zonked out. As the Passion event geared up and progressed, I managed to eventually get better, stepped in and contributed wherever I was asked to be, and was very grateful I decided to head up to the capitol of country music and witness first-hand what God is doing.
When Louie addressed the volunteer teams Monday and acknowledged that we had all made a sacrifice to be there, he was literally right on the money and then some.
Nevertheless, as I saw all the faces of the college kids and the precious lives and hearts of each one that God so very much cares about and loves, it was a sacrifice that became a grateful giving-up. My two younger brothers are in the age ranges of most of the Passion conference’s audience and one could not find anyone more further and rebellious personas from God than my brothers, despite my best efforts to be a witness and praying for them. Of course when I was about their age, I was rather distant from anything near Christ too– to put it mildly.
Seeing an audience of 18,000 college kids all praying together at the same time was a very inspiring spectacle, and an encouragement, in what a genuine, relevant and alive revival in our nation could be like. In the number of universities represented there, may Christ increase the numbers of believers in them exponentially.

John Calvin said that human beings are idol making factories, meaning that if we are not worshipping God we are most certainly worshipping something else. Having seen such flagrant idolatry and spiritual darkness both in college and earlier when I was enlisted in the Air Force, from drinking to worshipping music artists and whatever sophistry or deception their lyrics promote, words are inadequate to convey the joy and refreshing buoyance seeing that many fellow Christians, in such a huge gathering all focused on Him, has been.

Thanks Wendy, Renee and all of you other volunteer coordinators I interacted with; it was great working with all of the Passion Vols (as opposed to just the Tennessee variety) and getting to know all of you. And thanks Carolyn for providing some great conversation on the trip back to the ATL.

The trip was indeed a sacrifice, but considering that, one has to also consider the legions of Christians who have made infinitely much greater sacrifices to spread His name and proclaim His glory in the past. In Perspectives, we learned that there have been more Christians martyred for their faith this past century than in all of the preceding centuries combined. In so considering, what I gave at the conference is what I should be doing all along.

Thanks for allowing me to participate. In Christ’s love,

Lee