Passion - is no excuse!

I didn't see the game on Wednesday, only the highlights. It seems clear that the Referee did make some big mistakes.

At the end in his interview I heard Guus Hiddink ask us to accept that his players were passionate about winning the game and therefore, their conduct was acceptable.

I completely disagree - passion is no excuse!

We have grown too accustomed to footballer expressing their disagreements with refereeing decisions in a wholly inappropriate way. I read some years ago of school boys in the highlands who when playing football shouted and contested every decision, but when playing shinty always accepted the ref's decisions and got on with the game. Is shinty a less passionate game than football?

Passion is no excuse for offensive and rude behaviour.

If this is true in relation to football, how much more in relation to the church and the way we speak to and about one another. Passion is no excuse for rude and offensive behaviour.

At the General Assembly later this month we will be hearing a case and debating an overture which concern human sexuality. This is a subject which arouses strong passions. I'm not against passion or being passionate, we should feel strongly about our God and his glory and his honour which is reflected in our human behaviour. Passion is no excuse for offensive behaviour. I fear my posting on this is already too late as around the blog world, in the press and on web sites rude and offensive comments about sisters and brothers with whom we disagree are legion. The fruit of the Spirit is self control, not dispassionate unconcern, but self control. Can we pray for self control for ourselves and for others taking part in the General Assembly?

Be as passionate as you like, but in Christ's name also be self controlled, gentle, humble, kind, gracious, tempered with love ...