Peace of Christ, everyone!
I will be addressing a subject present in many people's lives: Anime!
Welcome to the incredible world of anime!
I believe there are various tools developed by human beings, created through the ability God has given each person. All of them, whether newspapers, magazines, books, cinema, and so on, can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Tools have no will of their own, and therefore are used to fulfill the will of those who control them.
Including anime.
I am not here to judge whether anime is from God or not, as many like to do. That is not the focus here, and, as I explained above, this is one more tool in human hands.
I wish to talk about how anime has played a role, or continues to play a role, in the lives of millions of people, including mine.
If I could sum up what most anime is about in one statement, I would say: “They are stories of overcoming adversity.”
As simple as that!
In most of them, the main characters were abandoned by their family, lost their parents when very young, or are rejected by society. As a result, an enormous desire develops — yes, hyperbole reigns in anime! — to practice love and help other people.
Something that fascinates me about anime is the sense of purpose that can easily be found in its characters. Many do not know how they will accomplish their incredible tasks in their splendid adventures. Yet they know that something greater, contained within each of them, will give them strength to continue, motivating them and keeping them in the right direction.
How many people do not know why they were born or what their gifts are? And how many may never wish to find a purpose for living? How many are looked down on by society, mistreated even by those they love, and consequently give up on living?
Before knowing Jesus, many of the times I felt sad about a barrier placed in my path, I ended up being motivated to continue through a story found in an anime. Today I have God's Word to nourish me and the Holy Spirit to comfort me, but I still recognize the great value of anime in so many people's lives.
A famous cliché is the main character entering a fight and taking a tremendous beating! Truly tremendous! Then, when apparently no strength remains… the character gets up and becomes unbeatable, winning the fight!
They do not get up just for the sake of getting up. Their purpose motivates them to continue. What a beautiful lesson!
“If the journey is long and the walk tires you, hold on to God's hands and go…”
How many times have we thought of stopping, giving up, or not getting up after falling into a pit? How many times have we looked in the mirror and seen a loser?
How many times have we looked at the clock, asking it to stop, and it did not stop?
Now I want to ask you a question: How many times did Jesus say, “Do not be afraid”?
I could even tell you here, but I would like to invite you to count and see how He knows we are susceptible to fear, and therefore repeatedly affirms that He loves us and will always be with us.
My brothers and sisters, He is with us! Oh, glory!
“The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
We know we will have troubles, that many will reject us, and that the days are evil, but we also know that our God is greater than all of this!
In the adventures told by anime, we can also learn much about fellowship.
Even the most solitary characters end up joining a team to carry out a mission. If one falls… another reaches out and helps them get up. If one cannot lift a stone alone… another joins in the effort and succeeds. And so it goes…
As my father would say… what is the moral of the story? Together we are strong!
Everyone, this post has become enormous! So I will conclude it in a second part next week!
Wishing you success!
João Victor