Happy Friday, my fellow anime lovers!
We’ve finally arrived in September! Blessings to you all this month. Today we’re examining the concept of kingship. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, had no army and carried no fortune. Neither did he exhibit other qualities that are regal, like being clothed in silk and satin and wearing a crown of gold on his head. In fact, Jesus says (John 18:36 ESV):
“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
In the anime Arslan Senki, the young prince of Pars is driven from his homeland by invading forces. Left with nothing but an accompanying knight named Daryun, Arslan must seek out help to reclaim his kingdom. As he starts his journey, Arslan has no army and not much else to exhibit the quality of kingship. On his journey, though, he makes new friends, like Narsus, who later explains something pivotal to Arlan. Later on in their journey, when many of Arslan’s allies begin to question if the young prince is capable of leading an army and bringing people together—for he has neither strength nor charisma—Narsus tells Daryun, “You and I follow him because of his kindness towards others. There are worse things that can happen to a kingdom than to be ruled by a kind king.”
Like Arslan, Jesus came into the world accompanied by His heavenly Father and earthly parents. As He grew in age, the people saw how wise and gracious Jesus was, and his unusual kindness to the outcasts, those that didn’t “deserve” love and mercy. Through both action and word, Jesus gathered together followers and trained disciples to proclaim His name; they would eventually spread his kingdom throughout the world—a kingdom of kindness and repentance.
Weekly mission: Consider someone you follow on Instagram or Facebook. What draws you to their content? What behaviors make you interested in their lives, whether positive or negative? Now reflect on the qualities you possess that might attract others to follow you. Are those traits aligned with what is pleasing to the Lord?
Memory Verse: “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” - Mark 3:35 (ESV)
BtT in Review
The Power of God and Anime podcast continues with its 7th episode release with Mike chatting about how God uses people, even in unexpected ways.
Join Michel as he dives into episode six of the Nademonogatari arc from the Monogatari series.
Fanart Fridays are always full of amazing works. Most recently we’ve dropped masterpieces of Spike Spiegel, Frieren, Rei Ayanami, and Dungeon Meshi.
Reader’s Corner is full of great recommendations for all you manga, manhwa, and light novel lovers out there. Check out reviews of hit manga such as The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love and Dark Souls: Redemption.
New anime Terminator Zero released in August. Check out TWWK’s first impression of this recent action, sci-fi anime. With the show being a mere eight episodes long, it just may be worth a binge-watch.
Apologies for the double email this morning, folks! 😅