When There is Greatness, People Will Come

So I have self diagnosed myself with Post-Passion Depression. Here I am: a week past, back in school, freezing and I'm not quite sure that my brain (and heart) have fully soaked in the power of God's glory and just how big He really is. So in an attempt to mull over everything bouncing around in my head, I thought it best to sit down and write out some of the truths I'm currently sitting in.

1) Jesus draws a crowd. a BIG one.
When 21,000+ students descend on the city of Atlanta, lines and crowds are inevitable. All of us trying to get to the same place. All of us wanting a seat close enough to see Chris Tomlin sweat. One thing I discovered is that being on time to a main session event was overrated. Ten minutes late will get you great seats too. (Thanks usher lady!) But these wonderful lessons are hard to learn and after fighting the crowd in the CNN center, waiting 30 minutes in the Moe's line, and scarfing my burrito down I found myself one in a crowd. Squished into a little space waiting for the doors to open to the arena. While the guys behind me were quite funny and the Clemson cheer was entertaining, I really just wanted a seat. A chance to get in, sit down, and see Jesus. And then it hit me. These same kinds of crowds were being drawn 2000 years ago. And by the same God I was waiting to see. The same excitement, anxiety and impatience I felt were felt by men, women and children in every city that Jesus went. Because like me, these people knew that there was something beautiful and redeeming about this man who was God in the flesh. And so they came. With their friends and with their hearts open waiting to experience the presence and glory of Jesus.

2) Youth is not an excuse to not do something great.
At the heart of the Passion movement is justice and a true desire to make an impact on the world we live in. A major part of the Passion event is Do Something Now which is an opportunity for Passion attendees (aka college students) to donate money to various causes all over the world. For example, Not for Sale builds border outposts along the Nepal border for women who have recently been rescued from sex-trafficking caravans. One border outpost costs $25,000 to build. Another cause needed multiple $200 donations to give to Haitian women as a loan to start their own small business. Money was also needed for surgeries on Afghani children suffering from cleft palates. These were just 3 of the 12 causes you could choose to support. At the beginning of the conference a goal of $500,000 was set. $500,000?! That's a lot of money. But thanks to the generosity of college students, $668,000 was raised. That means that every cause was met and then some. And as if God wasn't powerful enough, a couple who heard about the amount of money Passion students raised matched the $668,000 with one check. That's over 1 million dollars that has been given to heal the broken! To make the ugly beautiful. To give the unreached people group a chance to read the Word of God in their own language. And all because a group of college students had the generosity and kindness of heart to want to make a difference. Our age and stereotype cannot hinder us. We are God's sons and daughters. We are members of the Kingdom of Heaven and we can and will and do make a difference. One of my favorite songs we sang during Passion said, "If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?" The truth that resonates through these words just hits me in the gut. This should be our theme song. The song of our generation.

So those are only 2 of many things I'm starting to realize and take to heart. More are coming. I promise.