“But
I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”-
Galatians 5:16
I love THE ORIGINAL Karate Kid film (I actually refused to watch the recent re-make. I
just felt like it was blasphemy and made me feel dirty). Anyway, I loved it
because of the mentor relationship between Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi
(Pat Morita) displayed throughout the film…and the shower Halloween costume,
not to mention an awesome soundtrack that made me feel like I could crane kick
anything. Once again, I digress; it was a beautiful depiction of what a true
mentoring relationship could and should be like. It’s a great story of a young
man seeking guidance and direction from an older man that has the wisdom and
experience to hand down to the next generation. Daniel and Miyagi had an
interesting relationship that had a balance of truth, soft love, and tough
love. Which made their relationship stronger and better than the other
mentoring relationship depicted in the film (watch the film; I don’t have time
to discuss those dynamics).
I had to give this description to open the door to
where we are headed today. In a scene there is a strong dialogue between Daniel
and Miyagi that begins with Mr. Miyagi asking Daniel if he is ready to train
and Daniel’s response, like any teenager, “I guess so”. Mr. Miyagi sits Daniel
down and says something like this “Daniel-san, if you walk right side of the
road, you’re safe. If you walk left side of the road, you’re safe. If you walk
in the middle of the road, squish (he makes a squishing sound and gestures a
squish with his hands), just like grape. The same goes with answers. Either,
yes or no, no ‘I guess so’ or you’ll be squished (same gesture as before), just
like grape.”
This is just a sample of Miyagi’s wisdom being
passed down to Daniel in 1984, and it still fits today. There are so many
things pulling followers of Christ in different directions. People are trying
to find the authentic believers and understand what it means. They are seeking
that wisdom and truth. Unfortunately, there are too many people who claim to
follow Christ who have failed to fully grasp what it means to be a follower.
When faced with a dilemma around issues in culture or asked a question about
the faith, instead of knowing what Scripture says or choosing to do what Christ
taught, they respond with an “I guess so”.
Then, they get “squished, just like grape!”
Following Christ is a yes or no deal. We cannot
choose bits and pieces of the scripture to live by; we must truly follow Christ
and His message of love, service, grace, mercy, and reconciliation. Our lives
should be an example of what it means to be a follower. May we have balance in
our lives and know the truth of His message. The Spirit will guide our
direction, reveal to us what side of the road we should be on, and lead us so we may
walk safely in the ways of Christ.
Just in case you’re interested here is the clip, with
the correct lines.
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