higher than A or B

St Ambrose talks to us again about passions and reason today in A Year with the Church Fathers. He says more about how we should make sure we follow reason, and not let our emotions take control. And he's right, as far as that goes.

But when considering his advice, I find myself thinking there's a higher way. He seems to say that we either A) let emotion drag us away or B) act entirely in reason all of the time, rejecting our emotions. It's like he's saying we've got logic on one hand, like Spock, and raging emotion on the other, like McCoy. We have to choose between them.

I think God draws us to a higher place. I think He reaches us in our passions. He gives us our emotions for a reason, not to be led away by them, but not to ignore and kill them either. God calls us to find the place where our reason and our passion come together, and our emotions drive our energy in doing His will. Finding the place where our deepest desire meets the world's greatest need - that's His calling for our lives. And when we find that place, we find deep emotions and powerful passions helping us, rather than hindering us, in doing His will.

But it takes patience. It takes time. It means being quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to react. If we react half-cocked, we follow our passions away from our reason and most likely into disaster. If we kill our passions and respond solely in reason, we usually do the right thing, but we lose our joy in life.

However, if we take our time, listen to His voice, and follow His lead, we can find the place where our reason and our passion come together and fill our work with great joy.

God, thanks for teaching us to wait for the right answer, which is above reason or passion alone.