Recently, as a requirement of my doctoral program, I was assigned to read “The Power of Pull” by Hagel, Brown and Davison. One of the concepts this book covered was the power of passion. It started me thinking: What am I truly passionate about in my life?

The answer to this question is unique to each person, but I am guessing everyone shares some common passions. For me, my family, faith, church and country are at the top of my list.

Now that my parents have died, I am the oldest person in my immediate family a role I was not expecting to be in for many years to come. My brother and I do not always see eye to eye, but his wife and three boys, and my two daughters and I, are all that remain of our family. What would I be willing to do, what risks would I take for them? I think we never know until, if you will, “push comes to shove.”

For my daughters, as their mother there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to ensure their happiness and health. No length I wouldn’t go to keep them safe.

I came from a family that was not religious. When I began to attend church — on my own — in third grade, my parents were mystified. My faith journey began early and continues still. I am blessed to be the pastor of a wonderful church of delightful people. One part of the expression of the passion I find in my faith, is to welcome anyone and everyone. I choose to live my life helping others to know the God who called and welcomed me as a child. This is my passion lived.

One of my passions that may often be taken for granted, is for our country. I participate in a list-serve of about 8,000 pastors around the world, and am appalled at the religious oppression happening to people around the globe. We are blessed in our country to feel safe when we worship, or choose not to worship. We will not be refused employment, arrested, harassed or killed by the government or other people for practicing our faith.

Passion can fuel us to move towards new levels of understanding and growth. Engaging our passions means engaging curiosity, listening and learning. When we begin to connect with our passions, we cannot remain silent. We begin to seek meaning, and as we find that meaning we share it with others. We become more visible and interesting to people around us. And we begin to look for new experiences to further and share our passions.

What is your passion? And, more importantly, how will you use it?

Shepherdstown Ministerial Association member Rev. Gayle Bach-Watson is the pastor of Christ Reformed United Church of Christ in Shepherdstown. She is a doctoral student at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland in the Doctoral for Organizational Leadership. She lives in Knoxville, Maryland with her two daughters and three cats.