Trying Something New

I didn’t mean for it to happen. I thought I’d just check it out once. Take a quick look, strike it off my “Things I’ve Never Done” list, and walk away. I never thought I’d become one of them. I never planned on this becoming part of who I was.

About six months ago I became a Tokusatsu fan.

What’s Tokusatsu? Think live action Japanese superhero TV shows. Guys in spandex fighting guys in rubber suits as the grass behind them explodes. I got my first taste of Tokusatsu back in the 90s with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, an Americanised version of the Japanese show Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. But it wasn’t until last year I got a taste for the Japanese originals. And once I got that taste I couldn’t stop. Decades worth of shows that were weird and wonderful. It would take me years to work through the Super Sentai series alone. At this stage I’ve completed three series (Choujin Sentai Jetman, Kamen Rider Agito, and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger) and currently making my way through five others.

As I’ve started watching these shows, I’ve been drawn into the fandom. I’ve looked for places where I can find other people who love this stuff as much as me. I’ve listened to podcasts, followed people on Tumblr, read message boards, and studied Wikipedia articles. I want to know everything about my new love. I want to understand this culture and way of thinking that is so different to what I previously knew. In the process I’ve learnt new words, met new people, and gained a new outlook on the world. I’m experiencing a new culture.

This is not first time this has happened to me. There was the time I read my first comic book. Or put on my Judo gear for the first time. Or went to my first Scout meeting. Times where I’ve experienced a new culture. But the most significant time was when I first met Jesus.

I thought I knew the culture. I thought I knew what Christianity was. And I didn’t want anything to do with it. But that moment, that one moment when I got a glimpse of what was going on, when I met someone who really knew Jesus and loved him, everything changed. I got my first real glimpse of Christianity and I wanted in. I began to study what they believed. Got to know people who were real and passionate Christians. I began to understand their culture. And my eyes were open.

If you’re not a Christian, check it out. Go to a place where the Bible is taught and there a people who love Jesus and each other. And find out what they believe and why they believe it. Find out first hand if it’s something for you.

If you are a Christian, don’t keep it to yourself. If you think Jesus is awesome, tell other people. Give them a glimpse of the faith you have. Be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have (1 Peter 3:15). You never know when someone’s just waiting to be hooked. I never wanted to be a Christian. But here I am 15 years later and I don’t regret a moment. Go and share the joy you have in Christ.