Bonds

I’m going to pull a Jorge, and use an anime to introduce the blog post (if you don’t know anything about Yugioh, or don’t what’s happening you can just skip the section =p).

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So if you didn’t know, I actually play Yugioh.  I don’t actually own cards, but my brother does and so I played with him before and have played in tournaments before.  I sometimes follow anime series, but haven’t been doing it the past few months.  This morning, I randomly came across the last episode of the season (just came out the last week).  So I watched a random part of it.

A major theme of the Yugioh TV series is that of “bonds”.  The main characters go across many obstacles but through their friendships together, their faith + hope in one another, they get through them.

In this final episode, the theme is illustrated again in a duel between two of the main characters (Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas).  In one scene, Yusei is at a huge disadvantage, Jack has his ace monster out, and Yusei has nothing but 2 small monsters.  In his turn though, he is able to summon 3 more monsters.  The 5 monsters that he has on the field are all monsters with low level and low Attack power, individually they are weak, and anyone who saw them would probably wonder why Yusei even uses them in his deck.  But using the power of all of them, Yusei is able to beat Jack’s larger more powerful monsters with weak monsters.  The characters are once again reminded that the bonds they have with one another make them stronger.

The video will automatically start to the scene. =p  But if you like Yugioh, or want to watch epic card dueling with epic music, rewind and watch the whole video from the beginning. lol

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In the same way, we may be weak individually, but we are meant to live in community.  Together, we are able to build each other, encourage one another and grow in maturity; discipling one another into Christ’s image. 

“ …though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him---a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
Ephesians 4:15-16

It’s a beautiful picture that God put us together to worship and glorify Him together as one Body, one Church.

The characters in Yugioh are able to have hope when looking into the future because they believe that together they can break down any walls that bar their paths.

In our case, we should have even more hope!  Because Christ is our head; we have a God who loves us and is sovereign.  We not only can rely on our brothers and sisters, but first and more importantly, we have hope in God. 

“…If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died---more than that, who was raised---who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
Romans 8:31-35