Courage & Detoxing

I remember a conversation with a pastor friend of mine. I said I thought an often forgotten role of pastor is to help people find their unique vocation.

“Most people I serve don’t have a concept of vocation,” he said.

“Yeah, vocation is lofty and big. Your role is to reduce it to something familiar, like their passion. Help them identify something they are drawn to, and begin there.”

He quickly said, “But you don’t understand, the majority of my community are simply trying to live, put food on the table, and be on time to soccer practice. They aren’t passionate about anything.”

What I said: “Maybe your role is to encourage the discovery of their passion through reflection, prayer, and community life.”

What I was thinking: “Show me someone that says they're not passionate about anything, and I’ll show you someone that is (passionately) in denial. Either they are hiding from the implications of being drawn to something or they are numb to the sensations associated with passion altogether. The former requires courage—the courage to be honest with themself and then the world. The latter requires detoxing—removing the poisonous inputs that numb us to real, concrete, communal existence. Usually both."

Courage.
Detoxing.
At least one.
Probably both.