When I was competing at karate tournaments, and especially when I became a judge, it got so that I could recognize the intermediate and advanced students of certain instructors, even if I’d never seen that particular student before. It wasn’t just how that student performed techniques, it was how they carried themselves, how they wore their uniforms, how they treated fellow competitors, how respectful they were, how well they adhered to tournament etiquette, etc. The best instructors produced the most recognizable students.

At the same time, I remember one particular black belt competitor who was embarrassingly lacking in both technique and effort, and his students gave almost identical lackluster performances.

We can’t pass on what we ourselves lack.

What some quoted to me as a martial arts saying (“The student, when fully taught’ becomes like his master”) was actually Luke 6:40. “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”

I’m thankful that my first teacher — my beloved father — who was also my pastor from age 5 to adulthood, was a man of great integrity and humility. He was an excellent student and thus an excellent teacher. His life of virtue was one worth emulating.

So he set the bar really high for other pastors and teachers of things religious and theological. Very high indeed…

I was pondering this, and some of my own weaknesses, sins, and failings, after a conversation I had today with a dear friend. We were discussing my recent retreat and some other things, and several teachers — including a few priests — had come up in our conversation. It struck me later: all of them exemplify virtues that I want to emulate.

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 11:1, where a Paul wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” I am in no way qualified to say that to anyone — sometimes I think much of my life should be viewed as a cautionary tale. How thankful I am to have teachers whose lives and character qualities are worth imitating!

As I was pondering these things again today, I was reminded of a self-appointed public teacher from my past who forever turned me off to his particular theological hobbyhorse, because he was so strident, so lacking in charity, and so argumentative. He was the opposite of a gentleman; in fact, he tended to be quite rude and demeaning to anyone who disagreed with him. Someone described him as a “pompous blowhard”. I had actually been intrigued by some of his theological insights when I first encountered them — at least as those insights were expressed by someone else — but I found it almost painful to listen to the teacher himself, and especially to see how he interacted with others.

Obviously we shouldn’t judge truth by whether the person stating it is a gentleman or a jerk. After all, even the rudest person on the planet might not be entirely wrong about everything they say, and gentlemen can be misguided. Back in the working world, I even learned some valuable life lessons from some unpleasant people.

However, it’s a different situation when it comes to faith and morals. How they live out their belief system, how they exemplify Christian virtue, how they treat others — all that is vitally important. I don’t want to imitate someone’s walk with God if I don’t want to imitate them.

Years ago, I used to get in quite heated debates online, to the point that I would forget that those who disagreed with me were created in the image of God and thus deserving of my respect. Stuff happened… and God brought me to a state of repentance (and to a major theological shift). I remember trying to track down some of the people I’d most offended in order to apologize to them. Most were gracious and forgiving, but one person let me know that I had so deeply wounded her that she would never be able to trust me again.

Ouch. I couldn’t blame her.

Contrast my previous attitudes and behavior with the dear, sweet souls who, over my lifetime, have made their faith so attractive to me. I’m especially reminded of specific people God has sent my way over the past few years who have not only exemplified the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, but also the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) have been obvious in their lives. Because of all that, they are also humble and honest. Those are the sorts of people that I want to listen to, because I want to become more like them. I want to imitate them as they imitate Christ.

(This was adapted from something I previously posted on Facebook.)