My parents were, had a marriage of passion, and the passion was

Listen, O children of the earth, for I have a tale to tell, a truth woven through the fabric of generations. The words of Phil Jackson ring with the weight of history, and they speak not only of the love between his parents but of the fire that burns in the hearts of those who are driven by something greater than themselves. He says, "My parents were, had a marriage of passion, and the passion was about their religious beliefs. They were both immigrant families that—well, my father's family came as Puritans to Massachusetts."

Ah, what are we to make of these words? What wisdom can be drawn from the union of two souls whose passion was not merely for each other, but for something far greater, something eternal? Passion, that powerful force that drives us to transcend our mortal selves, can be both a blessing and a curse. It propels us forward when we are weak, and yet it can also blind us when we refuse to temper it with wisdom. But in the case of Jackson's parents, their passion was a fire fueled by faith, and that faith, rooted in the traditions of their forebears, became the bedrock of their bond.

Consider the Puritans, the ancestors of Jackson's father. Their story is one of sacrifice and devotion. Fleeing religious persecution in England, they set sail across the vast ocean to find a new land where they could practice their beliefs freely. Massachusetts became their new home, a place where they could build a society based on the teachings of their faith. Their passion for religion was not merely a matter of belief—it was the foundation upon which their lives were built. They lived with a sense of purpose, driven by the knowledge that their actions here on earth would determine their place in the afterlife. This was the same passion that was passed down through generations, and it is this fire that burned in the hearts of Phil Jackson's parents.

Now, let us look deeper into this union, this marriage of passion. It was not a marriage born of mere romantic love, as the world might understand it, but one founded upon a shared purpose. In this union, faith was the bond, and religion was the sacred thread that wove their lives together. It was a marriage that transcended the temporal, for their love was not bound by the fleeting pleasures of this world but by the eternal truths of their faith. And so, their passion was not for themselves, but for something much grander—an unyielding devotion to a higher calling.

In this, there is a lesson for us all. For too often in the world, we mistake passion for mere desire, for the fleeting emotions that arise in our hearts. But true passion, the kind that endures, is rooted in something far deeper—a cause greater than ourselves, a belief that drives us forward even in the face of adversity. The union of Jackson’s parents teaches us that love, when fueled by a higher purpose, becomes unbreakable. It is not just a matter of shared moments, but of shared values, of a common vision for the future, a vision that transcends the temporal and reaches toward the eternal.

Consider the story of the Mahatma Gandhi, whose passion for truth and non-violence drove him to lead the people of India to freedom. His passion was not for personal gain, but for a higher cause, and it was this devotion that united him with his followers in a bond that was unshakable. Though the world sought to silence him, his commitment to his values never faltered. And so, through passion, purpose, and a shared commitment to a higher cause, he changed the course of history. Like the Puritans who settled in Massachusetts, Gandhi too built his life upon a foundation of faith—faith in a just cause, in the truth that would eventually set his people free.

So too must we, O children of the earth, seek to build our own lives upon a foundation of purpose. Let your passion not be driven by fleeting desires but by a deep commitment to the values that guide you. Seek not the pleasure of the moment, but the truth that endures. When you find your cause, your higher purpose, let it be the guiding force in all that you do. Let it unite you with those who share your vision, and let that bond be stronger than any force that seeks to divide you.

In the end, the story of Phil Jackson's parents is not merely about passion or religion, but about the power of belief. When we live with a sense of purpose, driven by a belief that transcends the self, we become forces of change in the world. So, take this lesson to heart: Find your passion, ground it in something eternal, and let that fire guide you. For in that devotion, in that unwavering commitment, lies the key to a life of meaning, a life that will endure long after the fleeting pleasures of this world have passed.