Shin Changes Alliances
Sakamoto Days reminds us of where our loyalties lie
Happy Friday, my fellow anime lovers!
How are my favorite otakus doing? Today, I have an exciting topic to share with you, relating to several men in the Bible who all faced the same decision at one point or another—whether or not to switch their loyalties to Jesus. Whether that means by submitting to Christ as Lord or by living it out in a way that goes against the values of friends or family you hold dear, this is a decision that you’ll be faced with—possibly in multiple ways. As the Bible explains, though, obedience to Christ requires this kind of full loyalty given to Him:
But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
~ Ephesians 4:20-24 (ESV)
Loyalty is important, but greater still is being wise about who your loyalties lie with. Shin Asakura of Sakamoto Days sure learned this the hard way. He worked as a dedicated assassin for years until he was assigned to kill his former partner, Tarou Sakamoto. Our lead was torn by what to do until he decided to commit to the job. After all, his loyalty lay with the assassins’ association and not with his teammates. Or at least that’s what he thought until the job went south and he was betrayed afterwards.
Many of us stick by our friends for better or for worse, which is admirable and righteous, but are we standing with bad company and choosing loyalty to them over someone better? Saul of Tarsus could be the spokesperson for this, siding with an “association” that persecuted Christ’s followers until he himself met Jesus and chose loyalty to the Savior. One of the other Apostles also had to choose between two paths. Simon the Zealot was part of an extreme political group that strongly opposed the Roman government. He had to choose whether to stay a Zealot, associating with a group that hated their earthly enemy, or following Christ and abiding by his teaching to love your enemy.
Simon struggled to love his enemy throughout his time with Jesus, and Shin also learned the hard way what happens when there is misplaced trust. Saul did, too, through the conversion process on the road to Damascus that blinded him and led him to become Paul. In all cases, loyalties were tested. For us, there is ultimately only One to whom we can give our loyalty in every situation. God keeps His word, keeps us safe, and provides for our daily needs.
If you’re presented with a situation in which divided loyalties become evident—like with Shin, Peter, or Saul, where the group you follow may be doing something that isn’t Christlike—remember the One who saves your soul and who will never abandon you, One who has already shown you the greatest love. Trust him above all else.
Weekly Mission: Even if you are surrounded by wonderful people, jot down names of those who you have a great sense of loyalty to. Pray over these names so that God may bless them and keep your trust safe.
Memory Verse: “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” ~ Psalms 9:10 (ESV)
BtT in Review
On this week’s Reader’s Corner, Laura and Twwk drop their reviews on recent manga, manhwa, and light novel releases, including new volumes of The 31st Consort, Insomniacs After School, and In the Name of the Mermaid Princess.
On Fanart Friday, we celebrated the release of Wuwa 2.4 and Cartethyia, and also posted an illustration of Bleach’s Soi Fon!
On Instagram, we posted a reminder that season two of My Dress-Up Darling and all the summer anime are premiering in just a matter of days! Stay tuned to Beneath the Tangles as we drop our first impressions of all the summer anime!
Speaking of Instagram, Michael Klein from that platform was the winner of our Toradora giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered!
That’s a wrap, folks! See you next week!