This past week, Sam, who recently started an aniblog after moving over from doing the same sort of blogging on Google+, wrote a series of articles about how the “family” in Gakkou Gurashi resembles the family of Christ. It reminded me of something that’s oft been on my mind these days – how believers are to take Christ on as a model for how we approach life:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.’
– Matthew 16:24
We also imitate Christ’s relationships. As Christ is to the church, so should I be toward my wife; as Christ cares for his disciples, so should I look out for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ; as God lovingly parents us, I should shower grace and love upon my children.
A newcomer to scripture, or many of those just unfamiliar with the text, expect to see a book full of rules and may question why the Bible doesn’t tell us how to approach certain situations in life, even those that are most common or critical. But as the Spirit leads, and as we spend more time in the word, we see how complex and dynamic scripture is, and how it does hold the keys to how we live life, no matter the situation, oftentimes expressed through how we see life modeled by the heroes of scripture, and most of all through Christ.
Sam’s article points out some of the ways in which we should act – sacrificially (Kurumi), faithfully (Rii), and joyfully (Yuki). All of these things, of course, come along we develop our relationships with Christ once we turn to him in faith and surrender.
Sam’s article are concise, excellent reads – I would suggest you take a look at his blog as a whole, and especially at this series of articles! Start with the first in the series:
>> Exploring Family with Gakkou Gurashi (Part 1)
And now, onto the multitude of excellent articles from across the blogosphere the last several weeks!
The opening song to Concrete Revolutio speaks to moral relativism and nihilism, approaches that are very much at odds with a Christian worldview. [Medieval Otaku]
Inuyashiki presents the idea that the “soul” is what makes us human, not the physical, which may present a problem to those who don’t believe in a God. [Ricochet]
The idea of the “hero’s journey” is found in many stories, including anime, and often contain a supernatural element (including those that can allude to the Bible), with InuYasha and Hunter x Hunter serving as examples. [Lady Teresa Christina]
The kindness that Anna finds in Marnie in When Marnie Was There is that which lonely and hurting Christians need from fellow believers, and that which they can find in God. [2]
Neon Genesis Evangelion is often ridiculed for lacking in true substance, but does it really set up a confrontation between scientific and religious mindsets? [The Artifice]
Episode 2 of Young Black Jack demonstrates a Christian idea of sacrifice in an un-Christian circumstance. [Christian Anime Review]
Princess Kudelia wants to experience what it’s like to be among the orphans in G-Tekketsu, analogous to Christ as man. [3]
Yuu continues to press forward, despite terrible circumstances, in the last episode of Charlotte – Christians, too, have reason (better reason!) to do the same. [2]
Speaking of Charlotte, perhaps another reason Yuu was able to do what he did was because of that universal need for redemption. [Unsheathed]
The virtual world of Sword Art Online, and how the characters react to it, perhaps mirror how Christians and non-Christians approach life. [2]
As part of the Something More series of posts, Beneath the Tangles links to writings about anime and manga that involve religion and spirituality. If you’ve written such a piece or know of one, please email TWWK to be included. Special thanks to Don of Zoopraxiscope Too for notifying me about the Inuyashiki post!
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Thank you so much for mentioning my blog! I feel so honored. 🙂
Ditto.
No problem! Very interesting article – I read it through a couple of times.
Absolutely! I enjoyed reading through your blog yesterday. And thank you, also, for the email!