One Punch Man is less about Saitama and more about the supporting characters

Matthew 28:8-15. Go tell my brothers

For those who watch anime, One Punch Man stands out of the shounen genre (Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, etc.) as a parody where the main character (Saitama) is, by default, unbeatable already. In a sense, this contradicts the traditional hero’s journey of shounen protaganists of self-discovery, coming of age, then achieving one’s dreams. One Punch Man is fascinating not because the main protagonist is “perfect” already, but because of the development of “supporting characters” that surround this seemingly omnipotent character.

The premise of the Catholic faith is that Jesus is God, and in a way, this makes it hard to understand or relate with Jesus as a character in a story. Yes, we can be amazed by His miracles and His passion, but it’s hard to put ourselves in His shoes (and it begs the question, should we even attempt to do so?)

Thus, what gives me a second wind in enriching my understanding of the gospels is the perspective of the disciples. Cowardly, selfish, sinful, foolish. In a sense, the reader or the faithful would inevitably notice first the glory of the resurrection; however, there seems to be a wealth of insights awaiting those who view the resurrection story in the eyes of the disciples. Are the disciples not more relatable?

Let’s say that the resurrection is indeed one of the cornerstone miracles and beliefs of the Christian faith. From the supernatural perspective, it is the most important and bewildering. However, in my personal view, the most “pivotal” miracle from a historical perspective is the radical conversion of the disciples and to evangelize a faith in the True Good post-resurrection. Imagine: how many things have to go right just so Christianity as a faith can spread throughout the world?

The sacrifices and passion of the ordinary believers have allowed the teachings of Christ to withstand the tests of time. Imagine an ordinary life radically changed because of an intimate encounter with God – isn’t this a more compelling narrative and personal journey?

In a sense, from a pessimistic view, we could be “accidents of creation”. We don’t have control over the context in which we are borne in, like the disciples who succumbed to the structures, norms, culture, and sin that surrounded their existence. Each had their strengths and flaws.

But their encounter with Jesus allowed them the opportunity to redirect their talents for the good, much like the supporting characters of One Punch Man developed themselved through their humorous encounters with Saitama.

(Disclaimer: this is not to say that Saitama is Jesus!!! Haha!!! But I’m highlighting the how our view of supporting characters in One Punch Man can help inform how we view the disciples in the gospels).

Thus, blessed are the disciples, for God intimately revealed Himself to them. Therefore, the challenge for us: how can we seek the Risen? How can we prepare better for the moment where He would reveal Himself to us in our personal journey or in the Second Coming?

The imperative for us is to bloom where we are planted. If the discipled flourished despite their sinfulness, why couldn’t we?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 108: APRIL 18, 2022]

Faith is recognizing where reason ends

Luke 24:1-12. The women find out about the resurrection of Jesus

Personally, even if Jesus were only human, he still seems like a good role model to follow. His counterculture teachings — love and charity as the supreme commandments over self-preservation — are worth reflecting as standalone lessons.

The challenge with the resurrection is that it’s indeed incredible. A person who seeks to be reasonable can only rely on the testimony of those who came before, and in a way, I think this is what faith means. To witness saints put their lives on the line with explicitly good intentions, it can inspire faith in a benevolent God through Jesus.

Does the resurrection have to be literal to validate the loving teachings of Jesus? I don’t think so. In a sense, the parables already provide timeless lessons of love and going beyond the self. Are the parables and the gospels not yet very beautiful guides for living life?

If the resurrection indeed turns out to be true, and I can only have faith (not reason) that it is true, then we are blessed that God divinely revealed Himself at least once in our history. But if not, the story of Jesus the human provides enough inspiration already.

Whether Jesus is human only or indeed God Incarnate, we are able to appreciate Good through Him. And my mortalness can only view this as a blessing that keeps on blessing.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 106: APRIL 16, 2022]

Servant leadership is leading by example and paying things forward

John 13:1-15. Jesus washes the feet of His disciples

“If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.”

We are called to believe leaders not because they are in power, but because their works are worth emulating.

As the national elections draw near, which candidate has an authentic and admirable body of work worth emulating? Who will be the leader who will serve the servants and the constituents, not make them serve him?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 104: APRIL 14, 2022]

Loving despite betrayal

John 13:21-33, 36-38. One of you will betray me

Looking at the story of Jesus as a narrative of love, the “plot twist” or the “tension” in the story seems to be: can love still reign despite betrayal?

In a sense, betrayal is heartache of heartaches, and it can be construed as the other end of the spectrum when we talk about faith, love, and trust. In the face of suffering and multiple forms of betrayal throughout the Old and New Testament, we get to appreciate the many faces of love — charity, justice, mercy, and so on.

If we view the Bible as a love story depicted in many contexts, we get to appreciate love’s multiple manifestations. It can be an initial impulse or feeling. It can be a solution to break the cycle of generational revenge. It may be hard to understand in a context like Job’s, where his inquiry both challenges and deepens his love for God. It can also be God Incarnate, manifested through Jesus being both God and human.

In a sense, the new commandment of love is a great way to live a life filled with uncertainty and fallibility. Humans have inherent limits, and the concept of love can both simplify how to live life yet provide the most profound meaning. Love requires creativity — how can we still “love” our enemies and our betrayers? How can we still dignify them as persons? We will have to undertake our own journey with love as a sort of “general guiding framework”. We’ll have to pay attention to our experiences, intelligently gain insights on how we apprehend love in our own context, and judge in complex situations how love can reign supreme despite all the the sin that surrounds us.

Personally, even if the next generation of scholars, philosophers, and theologians somehow prove that Jesus is not God, it will not really matter to me. If the resurrection turns out to be fiction, does it really change the moral and message of the gospels and the parables? It’s only through faith and divine revelation that we can get a transcendent understanding of God and the divine.

But in a pragmatic and real-life sense, Jesus the human seems to sufficiently provide a “blueprint” of how to live a life of love despite sin, despite heartbreak, and despite betrayal.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 102: APRIL 12, 2022]