In Western society, the term “zealous” raises the specter of terrorism, or, at least, of ignorant, angry religiosity. Our perception of zealotry is colored by fundamentalists in the news, as well as waning faith in religion. In fact, Pew Research shows that only 30% of Western adults look to religion for guidance on right and wrong. Hence “zealotry” has a frightening ring to most of us.
Yet, zealotry can be either dangerous or protective, depending on the situation. In our comics, the zealotry of Batman keeps Gotham safe, and in our Torah, lehavdil, the zealotry of Pinchas ultimately saved lives and resulted in peace.
In fact, while “zeal” gets a bad rap these days, it may well be superior to passion. Passion describes a passive feeling, but zeal is linked to active accomplishment. If the opposite of zealousness is apathy, or lacking ongoing, practical commitment, it behooves all of us to consider how best to embody this trait, while constantly checking our goals and personal motivations. If we are part of the 30% who look to religion for right and wrong, we must carefully develop zeal in pursuit of that which is meaningful and good.
