Redirection

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I persecuted God's church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who from my mother's womb set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone…I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches in Christ; they simply kept hearing: "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me. – Galatians 1:13-16, 22-24 HCSB

Two Marines stood facing each other in the center of a soccer field. John was huge, muscular and very angry. Michael was small, half the other man’s size. The night before, John had caused one of Michael’s squad mates to get in trouble with the MPs. Now, as Michael rebuked him, John’s burly face grew red with fury.

He charged the little man, but at the very last second, Michael pivoted slightly as he planted one foot on the aggressor’s ankle and lightly pulled on John’s wrist. The big man fell, all his weight and speed suddenly working against him. He landed doing a face plant that covered him in dirt and grass while scraping the side of his face.

John lost all control as he surged back to his feet, spinning around to find his nemesis. He was so angry now that he wasn’t even thinking! He charged Michael a second time – this time managing to grab Michael’s jacket. But Michael simple yielded. He grabbed John’s jacket, fell back under the muscular man’s momentum and rolled on his back while planting a foot on John’s hip bone. John flew through the air with his arms wildly flailing and landed with a thud. Needless to say, the fight did not continue.

Redirection is a critical principle in Jiu-jitsu. Rather than oppose force with force, one should yield to the inevitable but redirect it into more useful purposes. There is a similar principle in the spiritual world that can be considered “spiritual jiu-jitsu.”

Our genes, our character, our temperament and our spiritual gifts together form a blend that provides us with a unique quality. This quality has strengths and weaknesses. Each of us is born with certain sinful predispositions. Some desire recognition. Some are by nature aggressive. But each of these things can be redirected into more useful avenues. We need to channel our negative inclinations into activities that benefit society.

For example, a person with a strong need to be admired could become a philanthropist. A person who is naturally aggressive could strive to be a heroic patriot. The trick is to not excuse the darkness in us, but redirect it into the service of God and Humanity.