As I was being interviewed before a public speaking event, I was asked, “What are your passions?” There was a directness and intensity to the question too.
In milliseconds, pictures and images—the important as well as the trivial—splashed across my mind. Things like my beautiful wife, Debora, our young-adult daughters and new son-in-law, my mother and father, siblings and extended family, parishioners, friends, colleagues, my Bible, favorite books, football team, and hobbies—they all appeared right before me.
But then, all those pictures seemed to merge into one, like a mosaic. One picture became the focus of my mind: Jesus. It was a moving picture, moving in many ways. I pictured Him returning—His Second Coming in power and great glory. With arms outstretched, He was brilliant, shining, and majestic, strong and masculine, yet gentle and huggable, with an enormous, loving smile on His face. In those few confronting seconds, I realized that the Second Coming is my ultimate passion.
The return of Jesus, our Saviour, our Lord, and Friend—it’s the event of all time. Since the fall, since Adam and Eve realized they were naked before the gaze of the universe, our planet has been yearning for this day. Everything that has been happening here since Genesis 3, when sin entered our world, has been moving toward this ultimate point—the return of Jesus. And I have been longing for this day ever since I discovered the gospel. My life was dramatically changed when I realized that, as a disciple of Jesus, through the assurance of His atonement, I have every right to joyously anticipate His second advent.
We can see very clearly from the Bible, and from world conditions and events, that Jesus will return soon. Tragically, too many will be lost as a result of their choices and priorities. But those who have accepted and bathed in the grace of Jesus, who responded to the embrace of His compassion, will be transformed. Gone will be the perishable, the corruptible, and the mortal; welcomed will be the imperishable, incorruptible, and immortality. Those in Christ, waking from their sleep of death, will be raised, resurrected, and changed—with new bodies to live for eternity, never to experience disease, pain, or death again.
This day, the day of the Lord’s return, speaks to our purpose and mission. And it is this Lord, the Lord of lords and King of kings, Jesus Christ, who provides us with our purpose, mission, and identity.
We are Adventists. Jesus is our Saviour, the blessed hope because of what He did at the cross for us. Yes, this is why Jesus is my passion.
I was caught by surprise when asked this question, but I’m exceptionally thankful for it, because it has given me the opportunity to reflect upon what really is the passion of my life.
So, as I was asked, I ask you: What are your passions? And what do your passions reveal about you— your values, motives, purpose—your life?
ANTHONY R. KENT
General Conference Associate Ministerial Secretary
