Yesterday marked roughly the six months since I have been practicing kendo and very soon, I will be grading to a higher level (even though we don't wear belts like other martial arts). Over that time, I've been reconciling the clash this particular martial art has with christianity, as many of the traditions are deeply rooted in zen buddhism. Yet, I am deeply encouraged by the deep respect that is offered from my sensei and fellow sempai after each and every keiko, especially when I fail or feel like I am not improving at all. Articles like
this continue to shape my thinking about my walk with Christ. I wonder if God is showing me a universal truth about warfare, whether it be physical or spiritual.
This is particularly reinforced when I read posts like
this, which talks about Ephesians 6:10-18: The Armour of God. Sometimes, I think God breathed this scripture in to the Apostle Paul just for guys like me. Its like I can understand the sweaty, uncomfortable feeling you get when you wear bogu (read:kendo armour) for extended periods of time, but also the sense of hunger you get when you have to take it off at the end of the day. You can appreciate the sense of safety God desires for us every time you get slammed in the head, wrists and torso. Most of all, you appreciate how spiritual battles are won not when swords clash, but way before that.
There is a heap more that I could say, like how we learn about "ki ken tai no ichi". This basically talks about how a perfect strike is where spirit, sword and body are one. I find this ingeniusly clever when we think about this in terms of "the sword of the spirit".