Bleach and God's Character?

If you have been around me as a fellow anime fan, you'll likely hear my adoration of the anime series Bleach (available to binge watch on Disney+).  In summary, Bleach features this teenager (Ichigo) who becomes a Soul Reaper that fights off bad spirit beings (hollows) to keep the world of the living safe.  What makes this series amazing is not just the epic fights Ichigo gets into, or the rocking, cheesy 90's theme music during those scenes, but the heart behind what Ichigo is fighting for.  When he is given this power/role of being a Soul Reaper, it was to defend his family from a hollow.  Whenever Ichigo picks up his massive sword (zanpakto), he doesn't swing it for himself; he is always swinging it for the aid of those around him.  He is the defender of those who can't defend themselves.  What makes it even more amazing is that when he faces a foe that is seemingly impossible to fight, he goes to work and pushes himself even further to be able to fight off this new danger. That's why I can't get enough of this series: Ichigo is someone who I really connect with at the core of why he fights.  Ichigo's character resonates with the kind of person I strive to be.

I have shared in a pervious post that God is your defender (Ich bin euer schild remember!).  But sometimes we need a reminder of who the character of God is and why He is defending us.  Why does God even do what He does throughout the Bible?  The first self introduction of God can be found in Exodus 34:6. "Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness." Did you catch it? There are five traits that God wants you to know about Him and what is at His core. Compassion, mercy, slow to anger, unfailing love, and faithfulness.  Legit, you could do a focus series on each of these traits that would fill books with awesome insights. God is moved in compassion: He sees you and is moved to care for you.  He is merciful: that is a gift that He will freely give to you, you just need to ask and trust. He is slow to anger: He is a patient being that is more than willing to work with you despite your present situation.  God is unfailing love: He will not give up on you and will fight for you! God is faithful: what He says he will do, you can trust that He will not let you down. This is God's character and it really shows what kind of character we should want to have in ourselves.

What kind of character do you see in your favourite fandom heroes that resonate with you in who you want to be in your character? What character of God do you often resonate with and appreciate? What is one character of God that you need to develop to represent Him to others?

Comments

Post a Comment

Like this? You might also like these other Between the Panels posts

Superman: House of Elpizo - By PLo

Image
Hey guys! PLo here, and I want to chat a bit about not a bird or plane, but Superman . I will be honest and say that for years I thought Superman was lame. He had all these powers and only one weakness and I just didn’t feel like I could relate to the character. And then came Henry Cavill. I remember the first time I watched Man of Steel . I was instantly sold on the character. Henry played not just Superman, but Clark Kent. And he brought a human side to the character that I had never seen before. I could relate to him, knowing he’s not of this world, but has been sent here for a time and is tasked with making this world a better place with the amazing abilities he has been given. But we aren’t going to be talking about the obvious “not of this world” angle today. No, we’re gonna talk about his name . Throughout the scriptures, time and time again, we see how important names are to God and just how thoughtful He is in how He names His people. He had Sarah name her first born Isaac, wh
Read more

Ich bin euer schild!

Image
What's not to love about a character like Reinhardt (Overwatch tank hero)? He is a giant, older man who dives into the fray to protect his team in the middle of the fight.  This epic, German hero not only has a ginormous rocket hammer and massive armour, but also sports an immensely huge energy shield.  An energy shield that acts as both protection and a mobile fortress for the team to advance their ground.  However, this all pails in comparison to the enthusiastic battle cry from this mythically large brute, "Ich bin euer schild!" Translated from German to English (varified by our own German International Staff) "I am your shield!" As a player in the game I have seen this shield in action and it definitely offers a sense of peace as well as a drive to advance forward in competitive game play. I know in my life I have been in what feels like a battlefield.  A battlefield in my mind of what I think of myself or the worry of what others think about me.  The battle
Read more

What kind of Lantern are you?

Image
What kind of lantern are you ? Kind of a weird question to ponder on isn't it. You might respond back with "Well what's the purpose of the lantern? What do you mean by using the word 'lantern'?" These are valid responses/questions to bring up, but I pose this question in processing what Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16 , " You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house . In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Not going to lie, this makes me think of Kilowag (a Green Lantern member and mentor), teaching Hal Jordan on how to be a GL ( Green Lantern ) and how to use his ring. Hal joined something that he had no idea what he was doing: how do you fight with light? Jesus is doing the same thing.  In other parts of
Read more