It has been a while, yet a whirlwind of events have taken place not just in my life, but even more importantly, in our world... with the presidential campaigns, the Syrian Civil War, the release of the undercover Planned Parenthood videos, the upcoming Synod, the current state of the Catholic Church... there is so much I can talk about, but for some reason, I feel compelled to share what watching a Tae Kwon Do class today has led me to think about.
[ Before I begin, I would like to present this disclaimer: I am not at all an expert on Tae Kwon Do. I don’t even have a regular belt for my blue jeans. But if you will, allow me to share about what I learned on the mat today… because it totally kicks butt … figuratively speaking. (Sorry, I just really wanted to use the pun.)]
Today, I sat and observed Master Park teach a group of kids. I sat, observed, and learned not just about the difference between hopping and jumping, or the different ways you can kick, or how to fake someone out, but also about the culture of TKD that is deeply rooted in the codes of honor and respect.
I sat against the wall on the mat fearful for these kids who are being drilled by their teacher aka my friend, my brotha, Tom Park. Master Park did not speak gently about respect, he spoke firmly, with certitude, that did not exempt children or anyone else for that matter from hearing his "serious" voice. He was not playing around. He scolded them for not acknowledging the presence of the Grand Master, the Master, or the instructors. He told them that the rules for respect applied everywhere else, too. He scolded them in such a tone that (although it was scary aka I was scared, haha) did not belittle his students, but instead upheld the principle of respect for another person. I haven't heard that tone since I was a trouble-making child. The seriousness of his tone indicated that this principle of respect is more important than their fears, nervousness, pride, or their reaction to his being angry at their lack of respect. I was amazed though. Amazed at how these kids listened intently, rose to the challenge of their Master, and simply (for the most part, there’s always that one kid) obeyed and did better at the next chance they had to display respect.
Indeed, on that mat, it was a different world for those kids. It was not a place where they could do whatever they want or say whatever they wanted. There was respect for the art of Tae Kwon Do, for the experience and knowledge of the instructors, their own bodies, and for each other.
I, on the other hand, was too busy working through a kind of pride I picked up from being a part of this generation — “That’s so crazy! I’m so scared for them. They’re just kids! Let them have fun.” Harmless words, you’d think… but imagine if those were the kind of directives they received from their teachers. They would not fulfill their purpose as TKD students; they would not accomplish their goals; it would cease to be a TKD class: Teachers will not be teachers, but just adults standing around while kids did whatever they wanted.
That’s how I realized that a part of me has been conditioned to think of strict discipline, rules, and “being told what to do” as anti-human… many of us have been! When in reality, it’s such things that allow us to help others be more human. Rules, laws, doctrines that allow for us to fulfill our purpose as human beings. That allow us to accomplish our goals. That allow us to make use of our earthly lives well. There is natural law. There are laws within the family. They are necessary, and not to mention affect our lives greatly. If the law that rules our rationality is the one that tells us to just do whatever and live however we please, our lives would cease to be a life as it is meant to be lived in community. You will begin to live only for yourself. That is not who we are. It takes two to create one life. Then it takes a whole village to raise that child. We are meant for others.
All of that today got my head spinning back onto the issue that matters most in our day and age. After being reminded of the importance of rules, I beg you all: No matter how tired you are of hearing about abortion being evil, wake up, get over yourself, and realize the diabolic ideology and mentality that legalizing abortion has created. This issue will never be old. So much of what is wrong in our society can easily be traced back to it. Hate crimes out of racism? Out of greed? It should not be a surprise to anyone that anyone can just hate another of his own kind when a mother can freely choose to kill her own child. Her own flesh and blood.
Laws exist to protect me and more importantly, others from my selfishness, from the mistakes I will make. If we don’t believe that laws are good even when they deprive us of certain things, it goes to show how little we really understand about humanity. About our own humanity. Boundaries are necessary so that others can remain free. The repeated practice of what is good will condition us to be good. The repeated practice of lawlessness will condition us to have no regard for the rights of another because we have been so accustomed to putting ourselves before the needs of others.
No matter how you turn the tables, it is selfish to deprive another human being the right to be alive. Even if one’s intentions are to protect the rights of women, if to do so means legalizing infanticide, I hope we understand that achieving a good by doing wrong never works. I hope we understand that defenseless means having absolutely no one to fight for you (not even yourself). The lives we are trying to protect from abortion are so defenseless that they need to remain attached and intact in the mother’s womb to survive. How much more vulnerable can you be than that?
For some reason, and I am thankful, I have found in myself a new conviction for protecting the unborn. For fighting against abortion. What I have seen recently are the effects of this contraceptive and abortive mindset that are rampant in our society today. We have little to no regard for life. For a country that celebrates the individuality of a person, we sure undermine the value of the life of an individual (when problems and inconvenience outweigh the value of a person's life, that would be undermining it.) I have come to understand that it isn’t just the unborn we are protecting when we fight against abortion. We are also protecting every single person whose lives matter just as much. Even if it makes my life a little less convenient, I will be more than happy so long as it is allowing another person the chance to experience the good there is in life. It’s time we speak with such conviction once more with a tone that reminds us that life is good. That living life is more important than our fears, our nervousness, our pride, or anyone else’s judgment and condemnation of those who believe that life is of that value. Let us be the generation that sees life as good. Both present and transcendent. Both fragile and made to last for eternity.
There is hope where there is life. There is life where there is hope.
Always. And it does not exempt children or anyone for that matter.
Kahm sa hamnida.
+JMJ+
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