Samurai vs. Pirate

Despite the fact that I don't really love reading, I love learning. So sometimes I read.

Mostly, my shelf is filled with Christian books, as that is the subject I'm most interested in mastering–not that you can really call it that. The Bible has such unsearchable depth and nuance, it always seems like there is something amazing to be discovered. But I've been branching out lately, and learning some cool things from some cool books like these:

Bushido: the Soul of Japan
This book, by Inazo Nitobé is a gem of wisdom. I have so much reverence for samurai culture, and the more I learn about it, the more awesome it becomes. Every guy would love how hard-core it all is. At one point, Nitobé writes about samurai children being sent at night to sites of public execution with instructions to leave a marker of their presence on a freshly severed head. This was done to acquaint them with death so they would not fear it when their time came to die in battle. But accompanying this callused toughness is a gentle wisdom that builds principled men of integrity who think that honor is valued above life, and that courage is not reckless abandon, but bravery in doing justice.

Uniquely, this account of samurai culture is written by a Christian Japanese native, which adds a powerful ethical backdrop to this culture of hardened righteousness. It's free on iBooks.

Swing Your Sword: Leading the Charge in Football and Life
Texas Tech fans know the name Mike Leach well, but knowing his whole story is pretty awesome. This guy has some impressive integrity, and the most dry, matter-of-fact code of self-conduct you've ever seen. A good mix of moral insight and autobiographical storytelling, this book has a small target audience, but I'm not sure how you could read it and not be impressed with this man. The book truly transcends his sporting career because Leach is "an endlessly innovative and original character, who just happened to coach football." (foreword)  Glad he's back to coaching. Look for Washington State to start winning an unprecedented amount of games in the next few seasons.
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There's cool stuff out there. Feel free to share some good reads with me as well!

Great Expectations

I used Psalm 101 in my guys' Bible Study last night. Here is an excerpt of David's poem:

 I will walk in my house
   with blameless heart.
³ I will set before my eyes
   no vile thing.

   The deeds of faithless men I hate;
   they will not cling to me.
⁴ Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
   I will have nothing to do with evil.

 ⁵ Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
   him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
   him will I not endure.

 ⁶ My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
   that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless
   will minister to me. (NIV84)

This poem outlines two ideas, two promises that David is making to God.

1: This is my standard for myself

2: This is my expectation of my company

You may have noticed what is already obvious; David's standards are incredibly high. This passage resonates with me as a man not only because of how much David believes in his ability to rise to the occasion of being the man God is calling him to be, but also because of how empowered his responses are to the actions of those around him.

Think about it. The last time you heard someone talking behind someone else's back, did you put them to silence? Do you endure the presence of arrogant friends? David exercised restraint to cut himself off from evil, and he uses his influence to cut evil off from his presence. That's a righteous man.

Hold others to a standard of righteousness. Let them know. Show them how.