Saturday, December 01, 2012

Passion and Addiction



There are four definitions for ‘passion’:  1 strong and barely controllable emotion; 2 intense sexual love; 3 an intense enthusiasm for something; and 4 (The Passion) the suffering and death of Jesus.

 Within the context of today’s blog, I’m focussing on definition 3 - my intense enthusiasm for certain things, of which sailboats and sailing are high on the list.

The definition of ‘addiction’ that is applicable here is my devotion and apparent dependence upon certain activities such as building, renovating and sailing small boats.

Passion and addiction often go hand in hand. For example, I am swayed by emotion when I see a beautiful yacht. My heart beats faster as my eye feasts on her loveliness. I imagine her at sea under full sail. The sky is patterned with cotton wool clouds; the crystalline water is topped with curling white crests, and the air is pure as can be.

 What sailor would not feel passion in his soul on a day like this when the tiller trembles at his fingertips? She heels and he responds; her graceful clipper bow cuts a furrow, and a trail of sparkling bubbles trace where she has been.

Passion becomes addiction, for he cannot live without his desire. He cannot live without the object of his love. He is truly hooked, and will give all to obtain it.

Some of us are hopelessly addicted.

James 1:14, 15 ‘But each one is temped when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.’

Links

Lustful Passions


Revelation

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