Inner Court Magazine. In this issue:

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1 Inner Court Magazine I S S U E 7 J U L Y In this issue: SLAVERY & THE BIBLE LET'S TALK by: Jonathan Johnson He saw that the Israelites were beginning to grow in number and this frightened him. We all know what happens when frightened people have power. The people under them suffer.

2 JULY 2018 Inner Court Magazine 3 Slavery & The Bible: Let's Talk 15 5 True Freedom 20 7 Home Or Hotel Free Slaves 9 Beyond Free AtThe LastVeil 11 Free Indeed Killmonger Among Us Anime Faux Pas Articles GITTYS AD ON THE COVER Two birds flying, as a bird we should mount our wings and fly. Inner Court Magazine Facebook: Inner Court Magazine Website:

3 SLAVERY & THE BIBLE: LET'S TALK by: Jonathan Johnson In the 9 1/2 years I ve been preaching, I ve heard a lot of knocks against the faith. I ve been asked a lot of questions. One of the biggest knocks against the faith is that God supports slavery. How can you worship a God that supported the enslavement of your people? This used to rattle me a bit...until I started digging deeper in the word for myself. Let s answer this question right now. Does the Bible mention slavery? Yes, it does. Now that we ve got that out of the way, let s ask a more intricate question: WHAT does the Bible say about slavery? I m glad you asked. Let s find out: As I just mentioned, the Bible does indeed mention slavery. There are several mentions of the term throughout the canon of scripture but I ll present three to you to save us some time so I can get out of your way. A reminder before we get too deep into this thing. All scripture should be read in its proper context to avoid misinterpretation or abuse. I repeat ALL SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE READ IN ITS PROPER CONTEXT TO AVOID MISINTERPRETATION OR ABUSE. In Exodus 1:8, a new Pharaoh had come into power who didn t know Joseph or what he had done in the land of Egypt. He saw that the Israelites were beginning to grow in number and this frightened him. We all know what happens when frightened people have power. The people under them suffer. So, the pharaoh had the Egyptians deal harshly with the Hebrews because he was afraid that if they continued to grow they would rise and overthrow them. So, the Bible says they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. THIS is akin to the definition of slavery we are familiar with from American history. Interesting tidbit of info: it wasn t white people doing it to black people but rather, for the sake of clarity, black people doing it to black people. And God was not ok with this. At all. That s exactly why He chose Moses to instruct Pharaoh to let His people go. However, this isn t the only definition or use of slavery in the canon of scripture. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 3

4 Further, into Exodus, we see Moses on the mountain receiving instructions from God to govern the people. In those instructions, He tells Moses on how slaves were to obey their slave masters. But you just said God didn t condone slavery! Slow down chief. This is where context is important. The type of slavery being spoken of here is indentured servitude. During this time there were people who would enter indentured servitude when they could not pay off a debt. The biggest difference here was that the slave masters/taskmasters had to treat their servants fairly and the tenure was only for 7 years: for 6 years they worked and during the 7th year they went free! Completely different from both the first example of slavery I mentioned and the American definition of slavery we are familiar with! Finally, in the New Testament, Paul instructs slaves to obey their earthly masters and takes it a step further by saying that they should treat them with respect and fear, just as they d obey Christ. Again, this is under the pretense of indentured servitude. And that term fear is translated to mean reverence. If you want to look at this through a 2018 perspective, it s akin to how we are supposed to behave in positions of servitude on our jobs. We can t rebel against our supervisors... well we can but we wouldn t have a job if we did! When it comes to analyzing scripture, we have to make sure that we don t approach it from an American perspective because when we do, we open the door for misinterpretations and misuse. That s how the slave masters managed to enslave our people for 400 years. However, I have a cohort who is going to touch on that, therefore I will leave that to her! We must make sure we approach the text carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the meaning so that we won t be led astray by false teachings. I love you, I m praying for you and be blessed I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 4

5 TRUE FREEDOM B y : J e r i a n H a r d y What is true freedom? Being in Christ is true freedom. Galatians 5:1 refers to believers being free in Christ: Christ died to set us free from our sins and eternal punishment: For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Before Jesus died on a cross, God s people lived under a system of laws which provided a moral compass to guide their lives. Galatians 3:19-24 reminds us that the Law, while powerless to justify, grant salvation, or produce true freedom; nevertheless, the Law pointed the way to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law through His death and now the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set believers free from the law of sin and death. God s laws are now written on our hearts through the Spirit of God. We are free to follow and serve Christ in ways that please and glorify Him according to Romans 8:2-8. We cannot earn righteousness through the Law; rather, the Law s purpose was to define our sin and show our need of a Savior. Christian freedom is the experience of not living under the obligations of the Law, but under God s grace: For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). In Christ, we are free from the Law s mandates, and we are free from the power and penalty of sin, but Christian freedom or grace is not a license to sin. We are called to live holy (separated unto God) lives. We are free in Christ, but not free to live life any kind of way we choose to; pleasing the flesh: For you, brethren, (all believers-brothers and sisters) were (indeed) called to live in freedom; only (do not let your) freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse (for selfishness), but through love you should serve one another, but don t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13 AMP). Christian freedom lends a paradox of the Christian faith. True freedom means willingly becoming a slave to Christ. This occurs only through relationship with Him (Colossians 2:16-17). The moment we accept Christ as our Savior we are baptized by the Spirit into Christ s death, burial, and resurrection. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 5

6 We cease being slaves to sin and became servants of righteousness: But God be thanked, that though you who were slaves of sin, yet have obeyed from the heart that form of teaching to which you were delivered, And, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18, NKJV). Only Christians know true freedom as John 8:36 states, If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. But what does Christian freedom look like in a practical sense? What are we free to do and not do? What can we watch on TV? What can we eat and drink? What can we wear to the beach? What about smoking and drinking? Are there limits to Christian freedom? Ask yourself these questions Will what I am about to wear, or watch on TV or the internet represent Kingdom living? Will others see my behavior as Christ-like? The Apostle Paul gives a practical illustration of Christian freedom in 1 Corinthians 10: (AMP), All things are legitimate (permissible and we are free to do anything we please), but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive (to the character) and edifying (to spiritual life). Let no one seek his own good and advantages and profit, but rather each one of the others (let him seek the well-being of others). Some members of the church of Corinth continued attending meals in pagan temples because they viewed this as a part of their social culture even after receiving Christ and did not see it as pagan worship. Paul gave stern warnings and reminded them about Israel s precarious dealings with idolatry in the old testament. Paul told Corinth eating what is set before you among unbelievers is not wrong, but if someone says, this has been offered to idols, do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for conscientious sake. He admonished saying Give no offense, to either the Jews, or to the Gentiles, or to the Church; Do not lead others into sin by your mode of life (1 Corinthians 10:29-32). Our freedom in Christ must be balanced by a desire to build up and benefit others. When deciding how to exercise our Christian freedom, we ought to seek the leading of The Holy Spirit and consider the good of others before our own good. We as believers are compelled to consider what s best for those who are observing our behavior. Paul s message to the New Testament believers and to us today is this: even if we believe we are right and have Christian freedom in an area, if our actions will cause another brother or sister to stumble in his or her faith, we are to refrain out of love. There are other gray areas that arise in our Christian walk. Romans 14:1 refer to these as disputable matters areas where the Bible does not give clear-cut guidelines on whether a behavior is sin. When we are faced with gray areas, we can rely on two guiding principles to regulate our Christian freedom: let love for others compel us not to cause anyone to stumble and let our desire to glorify God always be our motive (1Corinthians 10:31). That s True Freedom. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 6

7 FREE SLAVES B y : J e v e l l e H o l t We are all affected by our experience and our upbringing. How we decide to live our lives until death is our choice. Between that time, we are given wisdom and guidance to help us to make the best choices. Physically we may accept it but mentally we are behind. Let s look at us in relation to the Israelites. We first read about the Israelites in Exodus 1. (Reminder: they came from the 12 Tribes of Israel aka Jacob) They were so numerous that they filled the land (Exodus 1: 6 NIV). Joseph, brother of Benjamin, died, a new king who didn t know God came into power, saw they were numerous and decided to enslave them so they wouldn t fight against them in war and leave the country (Exodus 1: 9-10 NIV). However, they still had children; their slave masters made their lives difficult with hard labor, making bricks with straw and other work in the field (1:14 NIV). After a while, they started crying out to God because of their suffering from the Egyptians. God heard them and told Moses that he was going to free the Israelites from them (3: 6-10 NIV). During slavery, the Israelites were miserable, depressed, abused, and wanted freedom. I believe they d reminisce about the time of Joseph, how much freedom they had and how they wish they could escape it. After Pharaoh finally decided to let them leave, they took all that they could from the Egyptians (12: NIV) along with what belongings they had. After they left and saw the Egyptians chasing after them, they became upset with Moses and accused him of bringing them to the desert to die (14: NIV). They reminded him of what he said: Didn t we tell you to leave us in Egypt. Why would you ask to stay in a place that was causing you emotional and physical pain? Because it is what you are accustomed to. We ll revisit this thought later. While in the desert, they had a short-term memory. They d forgotten that God had delivered them from the Egyptians and had watched them swallowed by the Red Sea. They d become angry and complain when they didn t have any food or water when they wanted it (15:23-24 NIV, 16:16 NIV). God provided both food and water for the morning and evening. Moses gave them instructions on the how and when to gather it. Sometimes they d listen, sometimes they wouldn t. Moses wasn t allowed to go to the Promised Land and had chosen Joshua to lead the people into it and clear it (Deuteronomy 31: 1-8 NIV). After Joshua died, instead of driving the people out of the land, the new generations of Israelites decided to make them slaves (Judges 1:27-36 NIV) and started worshipping other gods such as Baal (Judges 2: NIV). They did to others what was done to them. How does this relate to us in the present-day? Physically, you may not be enslaved but mentally you may be enslaved. While they were enslaved, they were physically and mentally in a cycle of pain, hard work, and control. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 7

8 The only thing they (possibly) had control over was the number of children they had. They were told when to work, when to take a break, when to rest, when to leave, what to eat, how to move, etc. They were beaten down emotionally, mentally, and physically; they were known to complain and get angry because that s all they could do. They had no power to change anything while physically enslaved. When we re mentally enslaved, we repeat the same negative things physically that happened to us because that s what we know, sometimes in specific situations. Hurt people hurt people. Chances are if, for example, a dad physically abuses his son when he makes a mistake, the same thing happened to him when he was a kid. He grew up and moved to another area but those character flaws stayed with him because he never dealt with it before he had his own child(ren). In addition, it happens because we don t follow the instructions that we were given. Like our parents and those before us, Moses gave the Israelites detailed instructions on how to live once they get to the Promised Land. Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy to the Israelites as instructions for godly living, leadership, and how to divide the land between the tribes. He prepared them before he died and passed his role to Joshua. They started out following the instructions well but after Joshua died, they became involved in slavery and idol worship. Unlike some relatives, the generation that passed through into the Promised Land may have not really taught the First Generation Promised Land Israelites as they were instructed. When we don t completely follow the instructions we are given, we cause unnecessary issues for ourselves. It s fine to start following the instructions, but you have to continue following what you are told. Actions change into results and results affect your mindset. If you are the only person in your family who is wanting to own a business but don t know how to do it, you can find someone who is either successful and/or take some entrepreneur classes and learn from that. With each goal you accomplish, you become more confident and mentally you know you can do anything. A wise man once said For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). In order to be free, you have to change your mindset and your actions. Repeating the same negative things over and over again is not beneficial. God would not have you to look foolish, believing you are improving. God will always instruct you on what to do when you re unsure or needing guidance. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 8

9 FREE AT LAST B y : M o n i q u e M c G i l l Salvation is truly a beautiful thing. The freedom we have in Christ is like no other. God s will is for people to open their eyes to their true condition of bondage so that they may live in the light of God instead of in Satan s darkness. So, in that way, they may be dead to sin and instead be alive to God. Most people in sin don t realize that they re in bondage or that they re walking around with invisible handcuffs on. People say I can do whatever I want and they can because God gave us free will, but if they re doing things that go against God s Word, they re doing whatever the devil wants them to as he leads them right to hell. It reminds me of the AC/DC song Highway To Hell. In the song it talks about living easy and free and doing whatever they want as they re on the highway to hell. This song reminds me of myself before I got saved. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 9

10 I grew up in a Christian household and I didn t have a lot of freedom like my peers because I was very sheltered. As I got older I rebelled and just wanted to be free and do my own thing. I remember telling my dad you re ruining my life and he told me I m stopping you from ruining it. I thought I was having fun and enjoying life and didn t realize I was in bondage until I was free from it. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I had finally surrendered to God and gave Him control of my life. I was so overwhelmed because I was no longer bound nor was I a slave to sin any longer. Its power over me was broken that night because of what Jesus did. My old evil desires were nailed to the cross with Him and I was free from the power sin had over me. (Galatians 5:1- Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.) One synonym of freedom is deliverance, which means to be set free. We don t get delivered just to keep it to ourselves. When we share our story on deliverance we re supposed to let people know that Jesus did it so that they too can be set free from whatever has them bound. It s not just about the things we ll have to give up, it s about saying yes to our future, saying yes to God. Many people are hesitant to get saved because they don t want to give up certain things that they know Christians shouldn t do. Giving your life to Christ isn t about the stuff we won t be able to do anymore that s a sin. It s about the freedom we now have in Christ because we re no longer bound by it. God becomes our focus and we focus on pleasing Him and not ourselves. When you re in sin, it feels like you can t get out of it because the devil has a stronghold on you, but Jesus can free you from that. He came to set the captives free. Pray for deliverance from whatever sin you re struggling with and ask God to remove the desire to do it. Walk in your deliverance and don t look back. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Thank God almighty, we are free, free at last. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 0

11 FREE INDEED B y : X a v i e r S m a l l And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Ephesians 2:1-2 Are you really free? Rev, what do you mean? I mean are you really FREE. Bondage is an entity that lays hold (no pun intended) on so many people. What people don t know, is that they don t have to be enslaved to bondage, and that s what I m here to write about. The lie it presents. I m here to expose it for what it is, because people who are already bought with the blood still live in shackles. People who have been freed by the Savior live in bondage every day, and they don t realize that they no longer are a slave. Not to fear. Not to sin. Not to the flesh. Not to Satan. Free. So what s the truth about bondage? I m glad you asked. In order to destroy your enemy, or to be free from it, you have to understand how it works. Ephesians 2:1 says that we were made alive (the word quickened in verse 1) Because we were dead in trespasses and sins. Understood, right? But Y'all... That I found in verse 2 shows me that we didn t know HOW DEAD in sins and trespasses we were! Verse 2 says, ye walked according to the course of this world. I looked up the word Course in Greek, and guess what? It means, Perpetuity from the Greek Word aiōn. Perpetuity means: 1. A bond with no fixed maturity date. 2. A law restriction making an estate inalienable. Inalienable means: 1. Not transferable. 2. Unable to to be transferred over. 3. A quality of lasting forever. So what did Jesus save us from? I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 1

12 It means that unsaved, you are literally PROPERTY of Satan. Unable to be transferred to anyone else. It means your heart wasn t able to be inhabited by ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE forever! No fixed date to grow or change! This means that your soul was ALREADY facing eternal death! You were walking under shackle and chain with NO HOPE of freedom for ETERNITY! JESUS was the loophole in the contract! He made you ALIVE by facing that eternal punishment, for you! Jesus was the key to your shackles and the key to the shackles of those walking the course of this world! Y all! You were in bondage! And now you re free! You are free from an enemy that can NEVER enslave you again! I want you to know that you re not sometimes free. You re not mostly free. You are COMPLETELY free. And you must remember that in order to no longer be a slave to bondage! Why? Because it sure will try! John 10:36 reminds us, If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 2

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15 KILLMONGERS AMONG US "What The Church Can Learn From Black Panther" B y : K o f i H o u s t o n You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 One of my favorite things to do is to try to find God in anything. He is a big God and He is everywhere and one of my favorite avenues to find Him it is in movies. There are so many times where I watched a movie and found some spiritual truths in them. I ve done this watching all sorts of movies from The Matrix to Wonder Woman. I ve also done so with Marvel s newest hit Black Panther. Black Panther was a marvelous (no pun intended) movie. I saw it three times in theaters and bought the Blu-Ray. I wanted to wait until I saw it multiple times before I voiced my opinions on it because I was sure there were some things that I missed and I was right. I wanted to release this piece sooner, but I think now is a great time to do so. One of the biggest lessons I took away from the movie, in a spiritual sense, is the battle over the ideology Wakanda held regarding the safety of the country. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 5

16 The Wakandans believed that the best way to protect their country was to remain hidden in plain sight as the world around them descended into chaos. This, of course, had a lot of negative repercussions which ultimately led to the birth of the film s main villain and T Challa s nemesis (and cousin) Erik Killmonger. (Hey Auntie.) All Wakandans didn t hold true to that ideology though given the civil war in the film's third act. The movie clearly set up the conflict of tradition vs doing what s right by people. Some people believe that tradition outweighs everything else and if things don t line up under the umbrella of tradition then it should be discarded. Now, where have I heard this before? And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him [Jesus], "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" And He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. So many people specifically black people all over the world have been hurting because of Wakanda's decision to stay out of the world's affairs. Although they had the right to choose whichever path to take for the preservation of their country, doing so came at a price. They held in their possession a very precious [fictional] metal called Vibranium that could've changed the entire landscape and trajectory of world history. Who knows what would have happened had Wakanda made the truth of what they possessed known to the entire world. Given the history of colonization, and the present situation with China's presence in Africa, Wakanda would have constantly been under siege from foreign enemies looking to control the source of this invaluable metal. So, on the one hand, you cannot fault Wakanda for making the decision that she did. By hiding the truth, they actually saved many generations from atrocities. On the other hand, could a stronger involvement in world affairs change the course of history and saved millions more? We will never know. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 6

17 Like Wakanda, us Christians believe that we are in possession of an invaluable life altering and history changing "material" or rock; Jesus Christ. Much like Shuri, and other scientists before her had done, they used Vibranium in various ways such as great technological advancements and healing. Us Christians believe that Jesus can do and help with all of those things too, but unfortunately, like the Wakandans we have withheld Christ from the world in so many ways. It may not be intentional, but we have. There is a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi that says, "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." It is a heck of an indictment against the believers because we have, for so long, been poor examples of our Christ. Whether it is from our lack of compassion to those in need to insincere ministers robbing and scamming the people, we have ruined the trust of those we were called to witness to and convert. Pope Francis said something around the time of the PULSE nightclub shooting that I actually agree with. He said that Christians should apologize for how we have treated women, children, homosexuals, and for blessing the weapons of war. I totally agree with that. One thing that people have to understand is that issuing an apology isn't saying you are advocating or supporting something. You are apologizing for how you have behaved or handled a situation. It is an acknowledgment of us being aware we could have gone about something in a better way. If we are honest with ourselves and look objectively over the course of history to the present day, we will see that an apology is necessary in order to begin to build trust. If we build up that trust with the people, then they would be more likely to listen to us and what we would have to say. No matter how right we think we are when we tell someone that they are living in sin or that they are on the way to hell if they don't repent, if we do not season what we say in love and grace, then it will fall on deaf ears. A lot of times we think that we are telling the truth in love when we are actually being rude and condescending and we all know that love isn't rude. Black Panther s main villain Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) was an interesting antagonist. His father was killed by his brother King T Chaka for being a traitor to Wakanda and helping out their enemy Ulysses Klaw. Killmonger s dad became sympathetic to the plight of African-Americans and wanted to do something about it. T Chaka didn t want to get too involved as his main concern was protecting Wakanda. When Killmonger s dad was killed, T Chaka and the Dora Milaje left young Erik in Oakland to find his dead father lying in his own blood. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 7

18 This right here planted the seeds of discord between this young man and the Wakandan royal family. Had T Chaka handled this differently, Erik would ve grown up to become a different person. Instead, he had to grow up with bitterness towards the royal family for a poorly handled situation and the neglect of making things right. They left Erik up to his own devices which weren t a good idea. We as The Church can learn a lot from this movie. Sure, not everyone will accept us, but if we can keep our name as clean as possible, then it would not allow people in good conscience to bring any accusations against us. Sadly, since we haven t and allowed unreformed pedophiles, abusers, rapists, etc. to dwell within our congregations unchecked, they caused major damage to people seeking to find God in a place they thought He would be. And because of that, we are now witnesses to the many Killmongers we encounter today. Some people take an arrogant approach and wonder why should we apologize. Why should we, as The Church, apologize? I will just ask you to take a look at the rising number of African- Americans abandoning Christianity. The faith is becoming more and more synonymous with racism and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. With the Trump presidency, we see people becoming more and more bold with these beliefs and will fight tooth and nail against racial reconciliation. America has a long history of white supremacy that she just doesn t want to admit so it can be dealt with and unfortunately it exists inside churches all over. If we do not deal with these and make amends/peace, then there will be a whole lot more Killmongers rising than there should be. Now, I have outlined the problems. What can be our solutions? I will offer several that I think would help us go a long way in repairing relationships. 1. Apologize. This one is fairly obvious. Leaders from all denominations should get together to discuss the best way to go about this. Whatever they decide, a formal apology and effort to rebuild trust should be the foundation. An apology can simply be something like, Hey. We realize that we have screwed up. We have dropped the ball and mistreated so many people throughout history and we are sorry. We want to make every effort to make peace with you all and be an accurate reflection/ambassador of our Lord. 2. Follow Through. After the apology should be action. We should reach out to organizations to lend a hand and just be the hands and feet of Christ. We should do more for those abused and defend the rights of the disadvantaged. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 8

19 3. Expel the Immoral Brother. This may sound harsh to some, but this is something we must do again. Paul made it very clear in 1 Corinthians 5:13 that those who take the name of brother yet they are unregenerate and raise all kinds of hell should be removed. If they are not removed then they will cause untold damage to other believers and the name of Christ among non-believers. It seems harsh because we talk about grace and don t want to turn anyone away, but I am in agreement with Paul here. A little yeast leavens the whole lump. If this person remains free to do what they wish, then they will ruin the lump. Showing the world that we are serious and the unregenerate/unrepentant person is not a part of us will go a long way not only for us, but for that person s soul as well. Sometimes we enable more than we help by letting the immoral brother linger. 4. Mercy Not Sacrifice. Always remember to be merciful and compassionate. Recognize where people are and respond accordingly. Be innocent as doves but as shrewd as snakes. Don t be gullible. Stand firm for Christ, but be harmless. People will get mad, but they will be okay. Just remember to always respond out of love. May The Lord help us restore the bridges we have destroyed over time. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 1 9

20 ANIME FAUX PAS B y : N i c o l e C o u r t n e y So before we even get started, there s an elephant in the room. Now, I know you probably don t even realize it s here, but it s sitting on my chest so I might as well get it out of the way. Let me preface this by saying I am a huge anime fan. I will try at least one episode of nearly any show. I check into anime postings and sites, follow my favorite shows and new ones that will make an appearance in the next season for television. I was in a complete frenzy from how long it took Attack on Titan to make a reappearance. My friend Anthony, who I often talk and watch anime with, would try to tell me to focus that energy into other shows. I did, but it wasn t the same. Now Anthony and I are normally on the same page. We have some different preferences and opinions, but any differences usually enrich each other s views. Except for this one thing. We normally watch My Hero Academia together, episode by episode. Recently, during one of our sessions, I asked him a question, and I guess he wasn t trying to hear it that day. Nicole: Hey Anthony, with all these fights and whatnot, does it remind you at all of *bleep*. Anthony: *silence* Nicole: I m not doing this with you today. Anthony: How long have I been telling you to watch it? I try to forget that fact that you haven t watched it at all. What is this show that I haven t seen? Well DBZ. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 2 0

21 Maybe one episode. Put down your pitchforks!!! I guess I won t even speak about how I haven t even gotten to episode 2 of Naruto However, I think I can use this to my benefit. As someone who grew up and hung out with a lot of guys, it was hard to find one of my peers who had not watched Dragon Ball Z. Now in adulthood, it s harder for me to find guys who watched DBZ as a kid that still watch anime. An alternative obstacle I deal with is those who feel that I have not been watching it long enough or, because I don t watch what they feel are the classics I can t call myself a true anime fan. Their viewpoint is ironically what I truly love about anime. I remember when I first discovered anime, ten years old when Cartoon Network played Spirited Away. I didn t understand everything, but I knew that I was hooked. After that I would wake up in the middle of the night with the tv still on and see Toonami. Being that it would usually be a random episode of a show I had never seen before, I had that same feeling of not knowing everything going on but being completely captivated. So, as time went on I decided to stay up for it as long as I could. My eyes would widen and I would fall in love. These were the days before Netflix as we know it and all the streaming advantages we have today. By the time I was well in college and these shows were just at my fingertips, I never looked back. I would spend hours at a time watching, feeling that I needed to catch up to everything my heart wanted but didn t know how to reach. I guess that s the greatness of anime: despite what you are looking for, the storylines that seem to touch the deepest parts of your heart, the shows that remind you of your favorite drama, there s an anime for that. Anime is for everyone. I have seen everything from Black Butler, a show about the Queen of England s teenage watchdog and his butler during the Victorian era, to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, two brothers on the hunt to reclaim their bodies while battling forces on the way. I ve seen cooking shows, fight shows, school romances, sailors, your imagination is the limit. I have repeatedly fallen in love with the art of anime with nearly every given show I ve watched. Whether you are looking for a love story, huge fight scenes, even philosophy, anime has a place for you. I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 2 1

22 Here are a few of the animes I ve watched, just off the top of my head: Attack on Titan Hunter x Hunter Death Note One Punch Man Black Butler Samurai Champloo My Hero Academia Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood One Piece Cowboy Bebop Akira Hayao Miyazaki films Inuyasha And many more I won t bore you with Now I am sure I will get to DBZ (and Naruto) in the future. However, if I don t, I m fine with it. There is so much for anime to offer, and I want to take as much of it as I can. - Nicole Courtney I N N E R C O U R T M A G A Z I N E 2 2