♦ drawing Parallels ♦
~within context~

  a double drawing special for June 2012


Felt compelled to do a double drawing for this month, as I've had some fairly compelling thoughts during my first couple weeks at Arrowhead Bible Camp. All the ministries I've become involved in, in addition to this one are such a blessing as they've allowed me to better hear God speaking to me, subsequently bringing me closer to Him.

Now the double drawing for June this year includes a comparison with a particular line from the Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers, a song by the Newsboys titled Breathe, a (hopefully brief) comparison to the theme of efficient running and efficient Christian living in my own words as well as in reference to the song Underdog by Audio Adrenaline, and then a wrap-up with comparing it all alongside applicable scripture.





Here is the line from Two Towers, quoted from the character named Gimli as played by John Rhys-Davies.

Keep Breathing, That's the Key

 "Keep breathing, that's the key.  Breathe! Hwaugh!"

 A fairly wise revelation that Gimli makes while he is accompanying Legolas and Aragorn in their chase is that breathing is the key to running over long distance. The character undoubtedly learned this sometime after remarking that (mythical) dwarfs are more built for sprinting, being "very dangerous at close distances." The three, as told in the actual book, are in rigorous pursuit of a band of orcs that had captured their comrades Merry and Pippin. Being able to cover a long distance over a short period of time by itself was key in this specific moment of the story. Pippin and Merry were on their way to whatever torment was in store for them in the hands of the enemy, so the "three hunters" needed to catch up as quickly as possible to rescue the hopeless pair of hobbits. It was very interesting how Tolkien words the story in which some sort of evil was giving speed to the orcs making it very difficult for Aragorn and company to outrun them. Either way, I would consider Gimli's revelation both in terms of learning how to run long distance on foot, as well as run long distance in life. The concept of breathing, taking in necessary oxygen required to send through the bloodstream to vital organs as well as the muscle system throughout the body in order to keep it moving; it can very well be taken in a different perspective as far as what our bodies take in through our eyes and ears to maintain proper wisdom required to live as typical human beings... even further, as genuine Christians.

Breathe

 "Breathe on me, breathe O breath of God

Breathe on me, 'til my heart is new

Breathe on me, breathe O breath of life

Breathe on me, 'til I love like You do"

 The Newsboys bring up a very nice perspective of the breathing concept, indeed.

"Breathe O breath of God..."

Considering what is meant by this phrase, what could be called the very breath of God? Scripture is the first thing that should come to mind. We are called to meditate on His word, as we believe that the Word is God-breathed. Simply reading the Bible on a day to day basis is a substantial method we use to meditate on the Word. Also, how we live and live out His teaching completes the "spiritual life-cycle" which is taking in what God tells us through the Word from where ever it comes from. Typical sermons, and Sunday School lessons are a great source for the Word, and very much keep the Sabbath holy in that aspect. Limiting oneself to just listening to God on the Sabbath though is one of several ways we constrict our spiritual lungs. By letting the smog of our everyday weekly lives outside of church fill us, we have a tendency to choke due to... the lack of God in us. Just like oxygen itself, God sustains us through the Word. In order for us to chase down the enemy and rescue our comrades, we need His breath flowing through our souls so we have a hope to overwhelm the foe and save the day.

The concept of distance running itself makes for a worthwhile lesson to learn. Things come to mind from how I remember being trained how to run efficiently by Mr. Gronski, as well as how to apply such lessons in combination with developing life-living efficiency.

Here is a basic handbook style outline of my high school cross-country couch's instruction on proper distance running.

1.) Proper Running Form-

•  Back arched- Good posture is key to staying mobile, as slouched shoulders tend to put unnecessary tension on the shoulders and the back as a whole. Balance as well is better maintained with good posture.
• Head erect, and at "hundred yard stare"- A major part of balance for us humans lies in our head position. When mobile and going in a straight direction one should keep their cranium level and for the most part pointed toward the intended destination. The military reference, "hundred yard stare," helps with maintaining head position for balance as well as maintaining mental focus on the journey itself.
• Forearms parallel to the ground- The concept of doing this is treating your arms to your body as running gear works to move a locomotive. The rails of a train prepare the wheels for the next propelling motion by moving in a set position and rhythm. As one rail goes up, the opposite one goes down, keeping in a set pattern of motion to maintain an even propulsion to carry the train along the track. Also, the rails stay parallel with the ground so as to keep a level force of propulsion. Keeping the inertia from your hands to the elbow pointed towards the direction you're running really does help in getting you to the destination faster than if you forced that inertia in some other direction. The force of your hand driving in an upward motion is just that much more force to help take tension off of your legs as they drive your whole body up a hill. This works in any direction for that matter.
• Constant Rhythmic Breathing & Inhale/Exhale ratio-This goes back to the importance of breathing while running over long distance. Going further than keeping breathing steady, a constant rhythm along a particular ratio makes cardiovascular running more efficient in a few different ways. The way Gronski taught us back in the day was to count steps with inhaling and exhaling; breathing in for so many steps while breathing out for so many as well. This makes keeping a steady breathing pattern fairly easy. One thing to consider is that the mind has a tendency to put emphasis on the first and/or final step after/before transitioning to inhale or exhale steps. This emphasis makes it a good idea to use a ratio to compensate for this so that even tension is placed on both legs and feet. 2:1 is the most basic ratio, to take in breath for two steps and then let out an exhale for one. Typically though, more air is required to keep one running efficiently. A 3:2 for this reason is a much better pattern to go by for those running for an extended period of time. With more focus and breathing practice, more intermediate patterns can be followed like 5:4, 6:5, 7:6, and so forth. This steady rhythmic breathing keeps the bodily flow of oxygen steady as well.

2.) Runner's Etiquette-

• Pass after Five- Partly out of courtesy, a good runner should never pass in front of another runner until they are at least five paces distance ahead of the one being passed on the trail. More so, however, trying to immediately pass the other runner after getting ahead of them has a tendency to work against yourself in a mental sense. Achieving a small victory by just passing someone as soon as possible might too well put your mind at ease, which the opponent will be able to recognize and take advantage of at the next opportune moment. Calmly and patiently passing someone is much more effective than letting yourself become complacent in the wrong moment of the run.
• Talk while you run- This works well with team building... not excluding relationship building as well. When covering a good distance, and keeping firm and balanced control of breathing, you should take time to just chat with those you're running with. This shows character, and good character at that.
• Run against traffic- When you are running on the side of the road, one should move against the flow of traffic. This makes avoiding vehicles easier as you are better able to see them coming head on, rather than blindly trust that every driver is a good one as they pass close from behind. The unlikely albeit potential threat of projectiles or other sort of antics more... maliciously juvenile drivers might attack roadside runners with are also more easily spotted when you are able to see them coming at you from in front.

Underdog

"I'm in this race to win a prize,

the odds against me.

The world has plans for my demise,

but what they don't see..."

There are a few places within the Bible that make imagery of life being like a race. The second verse of this Audio A song is inspired by such biblical references, stating how typically Christians lose according to worldly perspective in order to gain for God's glory. This message can be easily misconstrued as stating that all Christians are called to be lowly in all aspects of life, giving no mind to disciplining ourselves at all to achieve this "underdog" label. That is completely selective, double minded understanding of the God-breathed inspiration for the worship sung in this tune. It combines the already completely inclusive, and all encompassing message from the Word about how God is the one that sticks up for the little guy. The weak in body, mind, as well as spirit all find their strength and dependence in the Lord. All who call on the name of the Son find Him, and are able to run the race to the finish as God "substitutes" our weakness with His unfathomable, undying strength.

Throwing the combination comparison between the theme here, we can come up with a bare bones outline for efficient Christian living.

1.) Proper Running Form-

•  Back arched- Maintain stability in your Christian run by keeping oneself straight in their foundation. By establishing good "spiritual posture" through recognizing the foundation of our faith through scripture, we keep ourselves to His law and ease tension off ourselves as we do not let sin drag our shoulders down to a slouch.
• Head erect, and at "hundred yard stare"- Meditate on the Word to keep God's promise to us in our minds, and focus on the finish line as well as the merit given out of His grace.
• Forearms parallel to the ground- Conform our daily habits and lifestyle to what is pleasing to God, as this is part of keeping our spiritual inertia pointed towards Him.
• Constant Rhythmic Breathing & Inhale/Exhale ratio- Be constant in breathing the Word, as this puts God in us to further support us in our run by keeping our spiritual life-cycle circulating.

2.) Runner's Etiquette-

• Pass after Five- Don't move to immediately surpass those who have stumbled out of personal pride, under the assumption that God cares for us to disregard love for displaying spite as a means of gaining honor with Him. Stay humble, as we should recognize that no one truly finishes the race on their own as it is God who runs the race for us.
• Talk while you run- We are told through the Word to address others with psalms and hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with our hearts. Let us talk with one another while we run the race towards victory, and uplift and uphold each other as He directs us to.
• Run against traffic-Keep the dangers in life in sight as much as possible, be it incidental or the enemy making assault on us. Don't let ourselves be chased down by evil, but rather face it head on under God's guidance and graceful promise to pull us out of any situation that comes our way.

The Biblical comparison to running and Christian living can be found as far back as Ecclesiastes. Solomon remarks in chapter nine, verse eleven "Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift..." stating foundation for how meaningless worldly living is. Time and chance effect all, no exceptions. How much more then could we need God who cares for us and provides for us wisdom to face our trials in life? God also says through the writer of the book of Hebrews "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God." So keep in mind that the eyes of the world are on us at all times. Not so we stress about it, but so we learn to accentuate our faith through righteous steadfastness like a runner endures a race to the very end. Paul, as God said through him, describes the run as based on looking at the Olympian races in that day. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly: I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."
Running for a purpose comes to mind through this comparison. Naturally we all seek a reward for hard work. The point Paul makes in this passage is that rather than focus on temporal, worldly accomplishments in life like a wreath crown (the equivalent to a gold medal in the ancient Olympic competitions) we as Christians should focus more on the eternal reward offered by Jesus through His sacrifice and promise. Living in self-control may not seem capable of getting us to our final destination faster, but it makes the run all the more easy in the long run.
To conclude and lay firm foundation for the fortifying theme I write here, let us consider the words in Isaiah chapter forty, verse thirty-one, which states the perspective we should see our spiritual endurance.

"...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."

So at the end of this special message for June, consider how you run the race in life. Know and understand where your endurance comes from, and why it is so important to maintain such through Christ. Breathe deep the Word, so as to increase such steadfastness. Get to your final destination in strength. His strength.

I hope to have more special messages later on through the year and further. In the mean time, take it easy and
~keep it real.