What four ninja (And a samurai) taught me about Christianity.
Okay, I'm going to admit it....I'm a total geek.
Not only am I a geek, but I'm a geek who watches Lego Ninjago: Rise of the Snakes.
With my siblings, of course. to...ah...filter it?
That's not going to fly, is it?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
But it's not like I play the online games....or have the wallpaper on my desktop...Those people are just weird.
Anyway....
From episode one, my mom decreed Lego Ninjago to be a cross between Star Wars and Kung Fu Panda, and I'd have to agree. Much like star wars, there are so many parallels between the world of Ninjago and Christianity that I almost have to wonder if that was the creators' intent.
Let's start with the characters. Sensei Wu has taken it upon himself to train and prepare the four ninja to follow their destinies, after having supplied them with the four elemental weapons of spinjitsu. Kai, ninja of fire, Jay, ninja of lightning, Cole, the ninja of earth, and Zane, the ninja of ice. (And see-er with sixth sense.) Basically the only thing these four have in common is their commitment to fight evil. And we can't forget Nya, Kai's younger sister who feels as though her talents are overlooked. This is the force of good in ninjago. They have all united for one purpose, to stop Lord Garmedon, (and, separately, his son, Lloyd,) from taking over Ninjago and making life miserable for all it's innocent citizens.
Now that you know most of the basic plot, let the comparisons begin.
Kai is a headstrong, act first-think later kind of guy. He wants what he wants, and he wants it now. From the beginning, he has been convinced that he is the destined Green Ninja, the ninja prophesied to defeat Garmedon. Kai is so caught up in visions of the future and so directed by his fiery (no pun intended) temper, that he ultimately shoots himself in the foot by preventing the very growth that may usher him toward the future that he so desires.He reaches his true potential as a ninja only after he discovers inner peace and acknowledges the fact that maybe his ego is a bit inflated, and maybe someone else deserves to be in the spotlight.
Zane is a calm, cool, collected, ever vigilant, somewhat odd ninja. He's so different from the others. There's just something...off about him. He can hold his breath for ten minutes under water, he doesn't laugh at anyone's jokes, and he's serious to the point of frustrating. Zane is only able to loosen up once he discovers the truth about his past and comes to terms with who he is. Only then does Zane reach his true potential and find inner peace.
Cole is a protective, somewhat serious ninja. Until episode 9, we know absolutely nothing about Cole's past, because he has never once volunteered any information. we later learn that he is closed off because of his shame from not following in his father's footsteps and becoming a dancer. Cole has never fully accepted himself, because he fears his father's rejection. Cole only discovers his true potential when he admits to his father that he is a ninja, and realizes he is proud of what he does, and his father in turn, accepts it and is proud of Cole as well.
Jay is the easily amused, fun-loving, often sarcastic ninja of lightning. If I had to pin-point Jay's personality, I would have to label him as a people-pleaser. His inner peace comes when he realizes that he doesn't have to change himself in order for people to like him.
Hopefully you can see where I'm going with this. Sometimes, like Zane, we have to look deep into our past and accept what we see. We have to refuse to let our past determine our future, because we can accomplish so much for Christ if we're not constantly looking over our shoulder at all the emotional baggage.
Maybe, like Kai, our opinion of ourselves is too high, or maybe, like Jay and Cole, it's too low. Maybe we're letting our own opinions of ourselves restrict the impact we could be having on the world. Maybe like Jay, we have to accept the freedom to be ourselves, and not be concerned with anyone's opinion. Maybe we are even like Cole, and need to reconcile a relationship with a friend or family member before we can reach our true potential. Maybe bitterness has to be let go of. Maybe someone needs to be forgiven. Maybe you need to be forgiven.
Maybe you're like Nya, who wanted to be a ninja like her older brother....until she noticed how possessed he was by the idea of becoming the Green Ninja. Maybe you looked at someone who was a Christian, then at how they act, and thought "No thank you!"
It is for this reason that I try to be very conscious of the image I'm projecting to the world. Am I living in a way that glorifies God? That challenges and encourages other believers? That makes unbelievers want what I have? I hope so.
Maybe we're even like Sensei Wu. Maybe we've been called into a position of leadership, and have to overcome our own obstacles in order to lead our students in the right direction.
I readily admit that my comparison borders on the geeky side, but it definitely proves that parallels can be drawn between the Christian life and almost anything.
Not only am I a geek, but I'm a geek who watches Lego Ninjago: Rise of the Snakes.
With my siblings, of course. to...ah...filter it?
That's not going to fly, is it?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
But it's not like I play the online games....or have the wallpaper on my desktop...Those people are just weird.
Anyway....
From episode one, my mom decreed Lego Ninjago to be a cross between Star Wars and Kung Fu Panda, and I'd have to agree. Much like star wars, there are so many parallels between the world of Ninjago and Christianity that I almost have to wonder if that was the creators' intent.
Let's start with the characters. Sensei Wu has taken it upon himself to train and prepare the four ninja to follow their destinies, after having supplied them with the four elemental weapons of spinjitsu. Kai, ninja of fire, Jay, ninja of lightning, Cole, the ninja of earth, and Zane, the ninja of ice. (And see-er with sixth sense.) Basically the only thing these four have in common is their commitment to fight evil. And we can't forget Nya, Kai's younger sister who feels as though her talents are overlooked. This is the force of good in ninjago. They have all united for one purpose, to stop Lord Garmedon, (and, separately, his son, Lloyd,) from taking over Ninjago and making life miserable for all it's innocent citizens.
Now that you know most of the basic plot, let the comparisons begin.
Kai is a headstrong, act first-think later kind of guy. He wants what he wants, and he wants it now. From the beginning, he has been convinced that he is the destined Green Ninja, the ninja prophesied to defeat Garmedon. Kai is so caught up in visions of the future and so directed by his fiery (no pun intended) temper, that he ultimately shoots himself in the foot by preventing the very growth that may usher him toward the future that he so desires.He reaches his true potential as a ninja only after he discovers inner peace and acknowledges the fact that maybe his ego is a bit inflated, and maybe someone else deserves to be in the spotlight.
Zane is a calm, cool, collected, ever vigilant, somewhat odd ninja. He's so different from the others. There's just something...off about him. He can hold his breath for ten minutes under water, he doesn't laugh at anyone's jokes, and he's serious to the point of frustrating. Zane is only able to loosen up once he discovers the truth about his past and comes to terms with who he is. Only then does Zane reach his true potential and find inner peace.
Cole is a protective, somewhat serious ninja. Until episode 9, we know absolutely nothing about Cole's past, because he has never once volunteered any information. we later learn that he is closed off because of his shame from not following in his father's footsteps and becoming a dancer. Cole has never fully accepted himself, because he fears his father's rejection. Cole only discovers his true potential when he admits to his father that he is a ninja, and realizes he is proud of what he does, and his father in turn, accepts it and is proud of Cole as well.
Jay is the easily amused, fun-loving, often sarcastic ninja of lightning. If I had to pin-point Jay's personality, I would have to label him as a people-pleaser. His inner peace comes when he realizes that he doesn't have to change himself in order for people to like him.
Hopefully you can see where I'm going with this. Sometimes, like Zane, we have to look deep into our past and accept what we see. We have to refuse to let our past determine our future, because we can accomplish so much for Christ if we're not constantly looking over our shoulder at all the emotional baggage.
Maybe, like Kai, our opinion of ourselves is too high, or maybe, like Jay and Cole, it's too low. Maybe we're letting our own opinions of ourselves restrict the impact we could be having on the world. Maybe like Jay, we have to accept the freedom to be ourselves, and not be concerned with anyone's opinion. Maybe we are even like Cole, and need to reconcile a relationship with a friend or family member before we can reach our true potential. Maybe bitterness has to be let go of. Maybe someone needs to be forgiven. Maybe you need to be forgiven.
Maybe you're like Nya, who wanted to be a ninja like her older brother....until she noticed how possessed he was by the idea of becoming the Green Ninja. Maybe you looked at someone who was a Christian, then at how they act, and thought "No thank you!"
It is for this reason that I try to be very conscious of the image I'm projecting to the world. Am I living in a way that glorifies God? That challenges and encourages other believers? That makes unbelievers want what I have? I hope so.
Maybe we're even like Sensei Wu. Maybe we've been called into a position of leadership, and have to overcome our own obstacles in order to lead our students in the right direction.
I readily admit that my comparison borders on the geeky side, but it definitely proves that parallels can be drawn between the Christian life and almost anything.
Thanks Shannon,
ReplyDeleteAs I listen to the Ninjago episodes in the background, every now and then,I am struck with a Christian similarity or reference. I thought I was going nutty. Your post reassured me, I'm not---