As I seek to continue to grow spiritually, two words have become very important to me: Passion and Authenticity. I find myself becoming more aware of what gives my life passion, as well as what takes my passion away. I am also more sensitive as to how I grow spiritually by seeking to be more authentic, as well as how I perceive authenticity in others.

   Passion can be an elusive word, much like spirituality, but I certainly can tell when I have it, as well as when it is waning. I have a friend who talks about the 80/20 rule of life. We know that some life experiences will drain and de-energize us. My friend contends that around 20 percent of life can be considered, "grunt" work that de-energizes our spirits. If we have passion for 80 percent of our experiences, we will remain spiritually and emotionally healthy. When the ratio becomes 70/30 or 60/40, then we can get into trouble with our emotions and spirit. There have been times in my life when I have felt my passion for life waning and dipping into a place that is not healthy, and there have been times when I was so filled with passion for what I was doing that it could barely be contained.

   There are many things that can cause the loss of passion in one's life. A major reason for such loss of passion can be described as living a life of dichotomy, or living out someone else's story instead of your own. Whenever we live out someone else's expectations of how we should be living, or when we mask ourselves and hide the reality of who we truly are, we pay with a loss of passion. Throughout our lives we are being fed stories, stories of our culture, stories of our family, stories of our religion, etc. These stories become our stories, and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves living out these stories that have been given to us, never finding our own story. Spiritual health requires that we discover our own story and learn what is separating us from that story. This does not mean that we reject all the stories we are given in this life. That would be an impossible task to undertake even if we tried. It does mean, however, that we must become conscious of what has been given to us, rather than unconsciously living out other's expectations of us. In the words of the theologian, Howard Thurman, if we are to be spiritually healthy we need to "Follow the grain in our own wood."

   The antidote to living a dichotomous life is authenticity. This word is especially important within a beloved community. No one wants to be in relationship with persons who are not real, and who are phony and pretentious. To be authentic means that we are honest with one another and open with one another about our failings and successes. To be authentic is to be able to share our sorrows without fear and celebrate our joys openly. Two queries may be helpful as we seek to live an authentic life: "What must we do to be authentic and real within our families and within our beloved community?" and " How does being authentic build trust with our fellow spiritual seekers within our community?"

   Passion and Authenticity. Two descriptive words of the kind of spiritual life to which I aspire. To be passionate about one's life and work and to live our lives in authenticity is to know a life of spiritual growth, and also to begin to understand what Jesus meant when he said that he came, so that we may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

-Jim Newby