As the popularity of the electric guitar increased throughout the 20th century, the introduction of a sound effect called “distortion” changed the music industry forever. Rather than having a pure and fluid sound that was present for many years in almost every instrument of every period; this sound embodied all that was to come in the social structure of families and in religion. This crunchy, gritty, angry, yet robust sound took root and became king of all music for much of the latter half of the 20th century.
From the 50’s to the 60’s the change in how families interacted and survived could be observed with the naked eye. Slowly, as if being pulled down by quicksand the traditional roles of parent and child were blurred and distorted until we reach today. Broken and blended families are the norm, divorce is expected, and the complications from these “norms” spill out into the rest of the world. There are some who are abused, a number who are poor, but most are just plain lost.
These members of society now grown up and raising their own children rely on their own experiences or the guidance of so called experts. These experts express ideas that “work” to fix a problem; but these are usually band-aids over gaping wounds. They can never begin to address the emotional distress that lies unseen until it overflows into a cry for help (i.e. suicide attempts, violence, or other risky behaviors). In both prevention and treatment of these cries, many experts would tell parents to get their kids involved in positive activities like sports, or the arts.
These things prove effective in providing distraction and a sense of belonging. Many times however, it seems to be overlooked that these activities usually have a coach, instructor, or guide of some sort. These people are in a position of authority and unique influence over each person in their group. And we have seen time and again pro athletes and other successful people attribute their success to their coach or teacher because of the time and care they invested. Why is it that coaches and teachers are respected and time and again create successes?
Perhaps it is because they embody what parenthood use to be. They are the authority, considered to be the expert in their realm, they impart immediate justice on those who do wrong and give praise to those who do well. A coach invests time into each individual and fosters a sense of belonging, encouraging each person to perform to the best of their ability. The teacher imparts knowledge on the student and also gives the student tools to use to solve problems. Beyond all of these a good coach/teacher/leader makes themselves available, they are never out of reach, nor are they hard to find.
Compared to how the world sees coaches, when the world looks to God, they do not see him clearly; they see a distorted version of him. I believe that our reflection of God is very harsh, judgmental, and distant. Our actions betray our words, and we talk about him as though he is too far to talk back to us or reach down and hold our hands. Sure we take our problems to him, but do we really expect him to answer? Many times it seems we have predetermined his failure to respond and accepted that he is mad at us for some past transgression. We call him father, but are we really his children?
Over the next few weeks we will study our relationship with God. We will discover our inheritance and the work we must complete. Martial arts and the relationships within it will be examined. Obedience and its relationship to the roots of our art will be a focus. Finally we will learn how to translate what we have learned into love, and from love into the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Stay tuned and get ready to turn off the distortion. |
