TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK....into a deadly weapon!

I've been struggling this week with reconciling my faith and my new hobby- martial arts. I've been readin a lot online on both sides of the fence, and I think I've reached a point where I know I'm doing what I should. The interesting part is that I got started with this at a fairly standard Taekwondo school, not one of the many local "Christian" dojangs. Funny as it may sound, I've actually entertained the notion of opening a school one day, but not before I've done it the traditional way first. Ah, I digress. My conclusions.

The two main objections to Christian doing martial arts have been: 1. martial arts teach Eastern religion and mysticism, and 2. The biblical mandate to "turn the other cheek" is in conflict with the idea of self-defense. The first I can debunk from personal experience right away, the extent of the "Eastern mysticism" being taught at my schoo amounts to telling us to close our eyes and meditate, and the meditation consists of picturing ourselves doing the move, or fighting the fight before we begin, so that we have mentally thought through, focused, and prepared our brain to control the movements of our body...... man, that's so wrong. Sounds a lot like the biblical mandate of meditating on Scripture, allowing it to marinate in our mind, so that new understanding comes, and we are more prepared to do what God asks of us. At any rate, I'm sure there are schools teaching Buddhist ideals out there, but with some careful selection, those can be safely avoided. We learn concepts like integrity, perseverance, goal-setting, leadership, etc. Not exactly out of line with Scripture.

The second objection took a little more thought. I've always wrestled with the idea of being a Christian in a violent world, trying to follow this passive, peace-loving Jesus every preacher has proposed to me in my 28 years. Honestly, it never quite worked. What about people who have fought in our countries various wars? What about the victims of violent crime? Law enforcement? How can you reconcile turning the other cheek with these people? Ultimately, I think it's a flaw in our view of Scripture, a cultural presupposition that everything translates into 21st Century American ethics and customs.....context is needed.

In Jewish culture, and throughout other cultures in history, one need only "lay the smack down" on the right cheek of an opponent to issue an insult or challenge. Matthew 5:38-42 is the text, and it points less at an admonission in favor of passivity, as it does at a call to ignore or deny a response to an insult or character-attack of some kind. Would God expect us to sit by and not resist as our family was brutally attacked and murdered- no. There would be as much sin in allowing that to happen as in committing the crime yourself. BUT, if someone insults you, or attacks your character, does it benefit you to sink to their level and attack back, or would it be more beneficial to "turn the other cheek"- to take it in stride, and not let it drag you down as well. THAT, I believe is the concept at work in that passage, and so I take issue with those who stand in judgement of anyone who would defend his home/family/country (within reason). I don't believe God calls us to be sissies, as much as he calls us to operate under love. Two different things. A sissy let's you push him around and feels helpless to stop- a man in love and operating with the love of Christ will still backfist/crescent kick/bust a cap into- any punk who poses a threat to his God-given family. That's just the way I feel about that.