I wrote a post last week about Chris Jeon, a UCLA student who decided it would be a good idea to go to Libya to fight in the revolution there, without any training or (seeming) forethought.
I was surprised by the reaction I received; the majority of feedback I received thought this guy was more “hero” than “idiot.”
But it makes sense. Chris needed a battle to fight. And to him, it was worth a one-way ticket and possibly his life.
Photo credit:Watt Dabney
The Call To Duty
Why did Chris take this huge step?
Why do hundreds of young adults go on adventurous service trips to third world nations each year*?
Why has the video game series “Call To Duty” (where a player runs around shooting enemies in realistic wartime situations) been the best selling video game for the past two years?
Why is AirSoft gaining thousands of participants, where boys run around shooting plastic BBs at each other with more tactical gear on than many real-life soldiers?
It’s the Call… inside all of us.
The Battle
I was recently reminded of a John Eldredge quote (Thanks Nate) from his book Wild at Heart
“A man needs a battle to fight; he needs a place for the warrior in him to come alive and be honored, trained, seasoned. If we can reawaken that fierce quality in a man, hook it up to a higher purpose, release the warrior within, then the boy can grow up and become truly masculine.” – John Eldredge
We Can’t All Fly to Libya…
So what are men supposed to do? I don’t recommend that we drop what we’re doing and join the latest armed rebellions around the world. But we can do something, such as…
- …take a wilderness camping trip with some friends. The kind where you need to make your own campfire and find a place to put your tent–not a camping trip where you’re on campsite #228 and you get shower tokens. (It’s okay to smell a little–it’s camping)
- …put your son through a time of initiation… a time to serve, do some physical activity, and learn some life skills from the men in his life.
- …start karate lessons.
- …take a trip to somewhere in the world. Plan little.
- …join an airsoft league (it’s fun!)
- …take a huge leap of faith… quit your job and follow your passion.
- …serve in the armed forces
Or we can:
…live our lives the way they were meant to be lived. To realize that we were created to serve a higher purpose, to enter the spiritual battles in our everyday lives. It’s not always glamourous, and not always physically dangerous. But no matter where we are, we can live our lives prepared for battle.
Now that I think about it, I realize that last statement is basically the theme of this blog. But what do you think? What other ways can we get our heart pumping, to enter a battle, and to make a difference in the world?
(Thanks Loren…)
*For instance, my favorite “adventurous service trip”: The World Race
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