Nisemonogatari: Is Christ a hero?

So I was watching Nisemonogatari for the first time and I came across an interesting phrase: "The first requirement of being a hero isn't being right. It's being strong. That's why the hero always wins." It got me thinking about how we view Christ as the hero of our faith. Is he the hero because he did the right thing and sacrificed himself for us? or was he the hero because he was strong enough to take on all of our sins? And if he was strong enough to take those all on, then why did he shout out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Is is just my imagination or does that sound like he was questioning his own actions? And if he truly was strong, then why did he have to sacrifice himself? Is he still a hero then? And if he could have saved us without the sacrifice, then does that make what he did wrong? Did he actually win? This is still sin in the world and plenty of people who do not believe.

I realize that this is turning into the debate, the problem of evil, but I couldn't help but ask myself these questions. I don't like questioning God's actions, but I do believe that these kinds of questions help my faith grow stronger. So... thoughts? What is the true definition of a hero? And does that make Christ a hero or not?

Believe in the Christ that Believes in You!

As most everyone knows, the main theme of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is to never give up; to keep going and never let anyone or anything get your way; to "pierce the heavens, the earth, and through to tomorrow." The memorable quotes and unexplainable charisma of our beloved Kamina will forever have a place in our hearts and souls and will guide us as we fight to survive in this world that is trying its best to suppress us. In many ways, Kamina can be compared to another beloved figure that we also strive to be like, Christ. Both of them are figures we look up to and both tell us never to give up and compromise on our beliefs. Both suffered for those he loves and both died to save his followers. Just as Christ is the Savior of the human resistance against Satan, so is Kamina a savior for the human resistance against the Spiral King.

Here are some verses that remind us of what Kamina did for his team:

1 Peter 2:21 "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." - episode 8 (no further explanation necessary)

Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." - Kamina's never give up attitude strengthened the resolve of the members of Team Lagann. Because they believed in him, they believed they could win, which allowed them to fight without any doubts.

John 20:31 "But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. " - or in other words "believe in the Kamina who believes in you!"

This post is not saying that Kamina is equal to Christ, but that Kamina is one who embodies many of the characteristics that Christ has. They are both ones that we should aspire to be like (though Christ has the upper hand). Kamina is the embodiment of the manly spirit and Christ is the embodiment of holy spirit (no pun intended). Both inspire us to be more than we can be.

 

Explaining The Trinity - Evengelion

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Spirit). The Trinity is a very difficult concept to understand. How can one being also be three different beings? They are all fully God, but they are also distinctly separate from each other. Keeping in mind that there can only be one God, it seems contradictory to non-Christians that we also believe in the Trinity. For weeks I was trying to find a way to explain this concept to someone and I noticed a loose parallel we can make between the evangelions and pilots in Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Trinity. 

We know that the evangelions are separate beings from the pilots, yet when the pilots enter them they become one being. Consider this to be phase one. When the machine is shot the pilot also feels the shot. When the pilot thinks to move, the machine moves. However, when the pilot exits the machine, they separate completely. They do not move or feel together. This is their second phase. If we combine these two phases, we get a fuzzy picture of what the trinity is, both apart and together.  

 Granted this a very loose way to describe the trinity, but it does make the concept slightly easier to understand, at least for anime fans. 

So if there is ever a time that you have to describe the trinity to someone, ask if they have seen Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Point of this Blog

Okay... This is the fist time I ever started a blog. I'm not the greatest writer, so bear with me as I get into the swing of things.

The point of this blog is to draw parallels between Christianity and anime. Many people do not notice that many of the morals and themes that are seen in anime stem from Christianity. This also allows me a chance to show my perspective on anime as a fan and a Christian. I would like to think that this is a fairly different type of anime blog, but I may be wrong. I am open to comments and will gladly take advice on how to make this blog better. If I make a mistake on one of my posts, feel free to correct me.

I hope this turns out to be a successful blog.