Defender - Pick up Your Shield

I want to be a Spartan Warrior. One of my favorite movies growing up was the movie, "300". I love the brutal beatdowns the Spartan warriors gave almost everyone that faced them. You see some of the most epic front kicks of all time as well. But what is more impressive to me than Spartans laying the absolute smackdown on everyone in sight is how they used their shields to protect those around them. Spartan mothers use to tell their kids, "you better come back with your shield or on it." Meaning you better come back holding that piece of armor or dying in battle with one of your badass homies holding you on top of it. They asked an exiled king about the significance of the shield and he said because every other piece of your armor is to protect yourself, but your shield is to protect those around you. I love how they saw the importance of defending those around them and taking on their shields. I listened to an incredible message by @dhariusdaniels and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite speakers. He shared a story about the Good Samaritan and how Samaritans were looked down upon by many religious leaders, but in this instance out of three people (two were religious people) walking by a dying man on the side the Samaritan was the only one to hop in and send a helping hand. Dharius said that in this instance the religious leaders may have gotten doctrine right, but love wrong. Dharius Daniels gave 3 key lessons from that story. 1) we need an epiphany. The Samaritan didn't see the robbery, but he saw the outcome. We might not always see systemic racism in front of our faces, but we can always learn more through media, books, and hearing stories. I was talking to my client this morning about emotional healing and the truth is the first step to healing any issue is self-awareness. 2) We need intentionality. The Samaritan went out of his way to see where the other person was. Learn to build bridges. Make new friendships, support new businesses, learn more about other non-profits, and so forth. 3) we need empathy. The Samaritan didn't know what the beating felt like, he just knew that he was hurting. Dharius talked about grief when someone loses someone close to them. He mentioned the power of the ministry of presence. Just showing up for those around you. Take up your shield and stay in the fight.