Lessons From Mr. Miyagi

I was outnumbered in our every lengthy discussion about the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill not only in Facebook but in other social networking sites. Luckily the lessons I’ve learned from Mr. Miyagi (played by Pat Morita) in the1984 movie “Karate Kid” helped me regain, more than ever, my composure and even more kept my feet firm on solid ground.

In the film, Miyagi first asked Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio), as part of his Karate training, to paint fence and wax sedans in a hand and arm motion that didn’t seem to make sense to the latter. Daniel sees them as pointless tasks and wanted to discontinue the training. It was only later, after Miyagi knew Daniel was all set, that he showed him how the natural repetition of his hand motion would benefit his defensive skills. It was only then that the boy fully understood why he is asked to do that “nonsense”. Daniel gradually developed his muscle and strength from his seemingly “mindless” obedience to Mr. Miyagi, his master.

Every time I join in such healthy (and sometimes wayward) discussions, I do not expect people to side with me. I do not have the false hope of winning their hearts and minds either. It is not what my Divine Master is expected me to accomplish. My task is simply to jump into the ring with my able mind and body, watchful of the words I use so that I would not personally offend anybody and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12) which is by the way my guiding Biblical verse. But sometimes I wonder where are the rest of the men and women of faith (and of cloth) from my diocese to back us up with our stand. This saddened me more than the arguments raised by my pro-RH cyber friends. The Philippine RH Bill is indeed a controversial issue. Are they, those men and women in religious organizations, too busy with the private and personal controversies they are into? One thing is certain: the pro-RH fellows are intellectually prepared and did their homework well. Unlike many of us…

I didn’t really fail. Through facing the multitude of “opponents” and swimming against the tide, so to speak, I have grown much stronger. My reasoning abilities became sharper than before. Yes, I haven’t changed my pro-RH friends’ position on the matter but I shared my views and was able to convey something from the teachings of my Church and that’s what matters most.

I also wish to thank my “opponents” for stoning me to death using cotton balls of friendship! Majority of them were able to present and exhaustively, and objectively at that, their stands. With the passage or not of the RH Bill, we will still be friends forever. We will respect each other still. I can feel it. Like how Mr. Miyagi and Daniel, towards the end of the movie, obtained respect from the tow-headed, black-belted bully named Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka) and his master John Kreese (Martion Kove) and vice-versa.

Call me a loser on this. But I am just trying to be obedient to what my Church teaches, to push and to exercise my faith and trust in what I, repeat I, perceive as God’s wisdom…

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(Photo: mutantreviewers.wordpress.com)