Still Sizzling
(Even in January)
There are some people who come into this world with an inside motor. I was one of them. As a kid, if I was into something, I was all the way in. If I loved it, I loved it. If I cared, I cared loudly. If there was a cause, a person, or a possibility, my whole heart showed up. Some might call that passion. Some might call it enthusiasm.
Unity calls it zeal. And if I'm honest, zeal has been my lifelong companion.
I've been passionate about music, ministry, community, justice, joy, learning, healing, leadership, spiritual growth, and especially people. I have always been lit up by the idea that showing up for others can change lives… including our own.
Now, I'll admit, there were moments along the way when that fire dimmed a bit.
Because life will do that. Disappointment happens. Grief happens.
Burnout happens. Winter happens—literally and metaphorically.
But here's what I've learned over time: Zeal doesn't disappear. It waits.
And often, it waits for one thing—purposeful movement.
Which brings me to a question I've been sitting with lately: Is there a relationship between zeal and passion?
I believe there is. Passion is the why. Zeal is the how.
Passion is the deep inner stirring that says, This matters to me.
Zeal is the energy that says, Let's move. Let's serve. Let's act.
And here's where it gets really interesting.
I don't think we can genuinely serve others from a place of apathy. Think about it.
Apathy says, “I don't care.” Service says, “I show up.” Apathy collapses energy inward.
Service circulates it outward.
Which is why, even in seasons when we feel tired, uninspired, or a little flat, service has a way of reigniting us.
Not because we're supposed to be martyrs. Not because we're “needed.”
But because something in us comes alive when love moves.
Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore famously wrote, late in life, that he “fairly sizzled with zeal and enthusiasm.” I love that image. Not burned out. Not worn down. Sizzling.
That kind of zeal isn't loud hype. It's spiritual vitality.
And I've noticed this in my own life again and again: When I feel most connected… most joyful… most myself…I'm almost always engaged, giving, participating, or serving in some way. Zeal shows up when we stop asking, “What's not working in my life?” and start asking, “How can love move through me today?”
This Sunday at Unity of Louisville, we're exploring the spiritual power of Zeal—not as pressure, not as performance, but as a divine energy that's already within you, waiting to be activated. Especially in winter. Especially when motivation feels low. Especially when life feels heavy.
If you've been feeling a little less sizzly lately—this Sunday is for you.
No shaming. No forcing. Just warmth, wisdom, and a reminder that your fire is still there. Still alive. Still glowing. Still sizzling.
I hope you'll join us.
With zeal (and maybe a little extra sauce), Rev. Bobby 
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