Contrast these two things:

A wealthy man walking into a department store.  He feels a sudden and inexplicable tug on his conscience when he sees the Salvation Army bell ringer, and he drops a $1 bill into the little red can hoping to appease his conscience long enough to forget.  This is the price he pays to forget the needs of other people.

Or...

An all-powerful king who leaves his comfortable throne to part with his kingship, power, his all to save the helpless and desperate need of millions in his kingdom.  The promise?  Ungrateful and murderous hearts.  This is the price he will pay to save those whom he loves.

This afternoon I watched intently as the mechanic changed my car oil.  His supervisor was watching, too, but was far more interested in his own beliefs about abortion.  "I may like everything a man says, but if he is in favor of abortion then I just cannot vote for him, end of story."  As the supervisor concluded his talk and walked away, the mechanic raised his eyes to mine and mumbled, "To each his own, eh?"

The phrase, "Separation between church and state" seems to spark a great deal of controversy in every corridor of society.  From the ice cream parlor to the car repair shop, from the church to the U.S. Capitol, everyone seems to have their own opinion about the role that religion should play in government affairs.

I suppose this remark proves that I am a little more shallow than the average person, but is it really that hard to draw a line between the church and government?

As I recall, God did not institute government to save the world from damnation.  As I recall, government is but a way of delaying the inevitable evidences of corruption which infest the world, to protect sinful people from each other.  The church is God's chosen venue to proclaim and execute the Gospel; not the White House.

I am reminded of the words of President-Elect Obama during his victory speech.  "It was you who got me here."  I believe there is more wisdom in these words than there is in some of the largest churches in our nation.  United States of America, the president will not save you.  He cannot save you.  He is nothing more than a reflection of what we are.

Only God can save the world, and He will do that through the church, and whatever other means please Him.

To begin I suppose that a brief explanation of my blog name is in order.

Passion is good, but meaningless passion is passion lost.  It is for this reason that I use my God-given passion to achieve a specific agenda, and to encourage those around me to use their talent for good.