Last weekend I saw the new movie The Karate Kid. It was well done and a good retooling of the original story. I found myself cheering for the hero kid and cringing when he got hurt. And as I left the theater I felt uplifted and ready to take on the world. What is it about this story that has such a lasting and broad appeal? Is it the universal themes of overcoming adversity and forgiveness that keep us coming back?
First we have Dre, a young boy who moves to a new place and is bullied. Then there is Mr. Han, a maintenance man with a painful past who becomes Dre’s teacher. Dre trains with Mr. Han to fight the bully in a tournament. At one point Dre wants to go home, back where they moved from. It is the same for all of us in overcoming trials and tribulations. We have to work to overcome our weaknesses or other adversity. It may take months and sometimes even longer. Sometimes we may feel like we’d rather go back to an earlier time. We may wish to escape our trials and go back to when things were easier. But it is in stepping out of our comfort zone that we grow. Like Dre going to Mr. Han, we can turn to others who have been through trials for guidance. That’s why we have parents, friends, and leaders.
After the tournament, the bully and his teammates grow to respect Dre. It is his choice whether or not to accept the change in them or not. When we have been wronged, it can be hard to forgive those who have wronged us. We may feel justified in our anger. But, a grudge hurts the one holding it the most. Sometimes the hardest thing of all is to forgive ourselves. Mr. Han has a point where he must learn to forgive himself for past mistakes. If we cling to the past we cannot move forward. Sometimes we might find ourselves going over and over a bad choice we have made. This is counterproductive. It is like beating a dead horse. It’s over and there is nothing that can be done to change it. We must learn from it and then move on.
None of this change and growth comes easily or quickly. Alma the Younger was wracked for days with the guilt of what he had done. It was so bad he wished to be dead rather than continue feeling what he was feeling. In the end he was able to forgive himself and set about doing great work in building the Lord’s kingdom. There is a modern adaptation of his story called Turn Around. It follows a young man who has gone off the straight and narrow path and is making all the wrong choices. After a near death experience he endeavors to change his life. It is not easy. In fact, it is a lengthy process and he has to prove to himself and to those he wronged that he has changed. He perseveres and is able to turn his life around.
The last thing we need is to be willing to change. We need to have the right attitude. We need to be humble and teachable. If we don’t want to change, no power on earth will move us. In The Karate Kid, as his Kung Fu skills improve, Dre’s attitude and who he is on the inside change as well. He becomes more confident and doesn’t back down. But it wasn’t until he began to listen to Mr. Han and do what he was told that things began to turn around. We must listen to the Holy Ghost as he prompts us to change and to repent. This week’s challenge is to listen and to make the changes we need to in our lives.