How Bruce Lee shaped my ministry (part 2)
All truth is God’s truth…and sometimes we find nuggets of truth in the most unlikely places.
For some of us, remnants of God’s universal truth has been found through studying the martial arts. For me in particular, a big source of inspiration and even spiritual truth has been found in the writings of the late Bruce Lee. So, now that readers know a little about the origins of my man-crush on Bruce (see PART 1 if you don’t!), let’s look at some of the things he wrote, spoke and/or talked about, which I believe offer some profound insight into things far beyond the martial arts.
“An artist’s expression is his soul made apparent, his schooling, as well as his ‘cool’ being exhibited. Behind every motion, the music of his soul is made visible. Otherwise, his motion is empty and empty motion is like an empty word—no meaning.”
Tao of Jeet Kune Do, p.10
Bruce believed that the martial arts were just that–a form of art.
A kinetic sculpture.
Three-dimensional chess.
A painting in motion.
And as such, one’s martial art should genuinely reflect the soul of the individual engaging in it.
However, what he saw in many who were training in various forms of martial arts at the time was merely the repetition of various disjointed techniques and pre-arranged forms. Now these things often LOOKED very impressive. And to the untrained eye (which was most of America in the late 60s!), they gave the appearance that the practitioner was a true master of the martial arts and could effectively take on any opponent with ease.
The problem, though, was that much of what was being perpetuated in the martial arts community lacked true depth in terms of actually being able to do what its practitioners were claiming it could do. These individuals spent countless hours perfecting their movements and honing their forms down to the most minute detail…but when faced with a real, living, moving, breathing opponent who was unwilling to cooperate with their idea of what combat “should” be, many of these intricate systems proved to be useless. Their adherents talked a great deal about their effectiveness…but when it came time to actually face opposition, their words did not match their actions.
Thus, one of Bruce’s most famous quotes (which is actually written on a banner I have here hanging on my wall!) is:
“Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must do.”
This is as true in the realm of Christian discipleship as it is in martial arts. In fact, nearly two millennia ago Jesus’ brother said almost the same thing:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”
-James 2:14-18
James was stating what should have been an obvious truth among God’s people–what we SAY is not nearly as important as what we DO. In fact, what we DO shows the genuineness and authenticity of what we SAY.
All the flashy forms, impressive kicks, powerful punches, fancy uniforms, and multiple belts in various martial arts systems cannot save us when facing an opponent who is intent on beating us.
We must train in a way that prepares us for actual combat and be willing to put in the time, effort, struggle and sweat needed to remain physically and mentally sharp–which is often far from glamorous!
Likewise, all the memorized Bible verses, Christian devotional books, worship songs on our iPod, or right doctrine cannot save us when facing the ultimate opponent–the one stalking us like a hungry lion, according to the Apostle Peter (1Peter 5:8)–who is intent on destroying our soul.
We must seek a living relationship with God in which we are prepared to put in the time, effort, struggle and sweat needed to make a difference in this world–which is often far from glamorous! (For more on this concept, I recommend readers check out my friend Steve Wright’s book “The Descent to Compassion“…it will challenge you indeed!)
Above all, Bruce felt that everything one does in life should be genuine. For the follower of Jesus, the ultimate expression of genuineness is found in love. Not the sappy, sentimental, wordy, Hallmark-card notion that is often associated with our English term ‘love.’ But rather, an authentic, sincere, utter devotion to reflecting the very nature of God Himself and seeking the highest good for everyone we meet.
“Knowing is not enough, you must apply…willing is not enough, you must do…”
Or as the Apostle Paul put it:
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
-1Corinthians 13:1-2
May we never settle for ’empty words’…may we never live a life of ‘faith’ without deeds.
Categories: Arts and Culture, Blog, Martial Arts, Ministry, Theological issues
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by Disciple Dojo – JMSmith.org » How Bruce Lee shaped my ministry (part 1) on Sep 6, 2012 at 7:25 pm
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by Disciple Dojo – JMSmith.org » How Bruce Lee shaped my ministry (part 5) on Sep 17, 2012 at 6:53 pm