Alright, now I know this might only appeal to a small niche of people who both like anime and love Jesus like me (lol) which I’m totally fine with.

I am about halfway through my One Piece journey (460+ episodes in for those who don’t know the 1,000-episode anime series), and I must say, I loooove me the Straw Hats, but especially Luffy, the main character. To carve out the relevant portion of the plot, Monkey. D. Luffy sets his mind on a goal: to become the King of the Pirates, and go on a long, impossible, arduous journey to gain the One Piece- the ultimate treasure which will gain him said crown, notoriety, and honor.

And after watching almost 500 episodes, let me tell you his focus, his zeal, and his drive have never wavered. But what is beautiful is that though he begins this journey alone, he recognizes his need for community- only a full pirate crew can make that journey possible. So as he journeys, one by one, he, by being his authentic self, not by prodding or proselytizing, convinces people to join his crew. And let me tell you- they’re an odd bunch. Nowhere near as defined, scary-looking, large, or imposing as other pirate crews. 

The Straw Hats are full of loners and weirdos, people who at first, don’t see the mission or believe in it (because it both sounds and is crazy). But one thing gets to them every time: Luffy being himself. His character is what draws them in, and helps sell them on the mission. Quite frankly, he is a beacon of light in a career path known for its crime, violence, and tyranny. Somehow this weirdo kid convinces a notorious pirate bounty hunter, self-aggrandized liar, money-hungry siren, lust-driven chef, and others to join in his impossible mission. And even though sometimes it seems that they have deviated from the mission, that’s only a temporary pause- usually to help someone- and it often causes them to get closer to their goal in the end.

Okay, I’m not going to summarize 400 episodes (badly at that). But I needed to at least get some of you on board to understand the wildness of my next statement. Monkey D. Luffy is the definition of “Let no man take thy crown.” Rev. 3:11. Okay, let me cook for a second. He is the type of Believer that we all should aspire to be. 

Luffy is completely sold out to his goal. No matter how many obstacles, or how completely unreasonable his goal actually is, you couldn’t convince him that he would not be King of the Pirates. And his every move and decision is predicated on this immutable fact: he WILL be King. I don’t see many of our Biblical heroes having that level of sold-out, unwavering faith. Many of us, on this epic journey towards our One Piece (Heaven if you haven’t picked up on it yet), encounter obstacles that can shatter our faith, and often allow even the smallest of them to trip us up. We are told that the road to Heaven is narrow, and few will find it, and that makes our quest for Eternity seem impossible. Matt. 7:13-14. And then we know that our status as sinners and inability to do right even when we want to sometimes (Rom. 7) makes this seem like something that will never happen. Not in, well, eternity.  

So how do we find this charming young character who not only is fully convinced of his future, but so much so that he persuades others to buy-in? And is that the key to the Gospel message? 

Simple. He stayed true to his mission, and blocked out the noise every time someone laughed at him, told him he was unreasonable, or even rationally pointed out the impossibility of his quests. You know, those who deal with logic and facts, to the detriment of their (and your) faith.  But Luffy chose, and continued to choose to believe in himself. No one could convince him otherwise, and believe me- that level of confidence is infectious. It is the key to making our goals a reality, whether spiritual or physical. Phil. 1:6-7; Heb. 10:35-37.  

The confidence to believe in ourselves despite the obviously contrary evidence, the failures, and the moments we simply just don’t feel up to them- are not necessarily supernatural. But the added bonus of having a connection to the Eternal Creator makes our confidence rooted in more than our own abilities, egos, and will. Josh. 1:9; Jer. 17:7. It adds a necessary element.

This random kid, Luffy, though imbued with special powers from eating a “Devil Fruit” (I know, ya’ll, but stand down), is confident even at the beginning- that he’s gonna be King. And though his powers do come with limitations (like rendering him useless in water- a skill you’d assume a pirate needs), he never lets any of that deter him. I mean he operates on vibes all the time, (which isn’t my point) and has the confidence in himself to operate without a plan, allowing impulse to dictate a lot of his moves. You have to stand impressed- even though it could be a great annoyance- or an incredible disaster. But sometimes that’s the level of faith it takes to walk this Christian path. 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1-3; Heb. 10:23,35,36; Mark 11:22-23. To choose to consume the Bread of Life, and place our hopes and confidence in the power imbued in us from Him, is the way to live this life. Knowing that no matter where we step, even without clear direction (operating on Holy Spirit vibes) we can stay in His will, steadily pressing towards the true goal: eternity with our greatest Love. Phil. 3:12-14. Our confidence is in His power, and through His power we can do the impossible,and reach the unattainable. Phil. 4:13. So long as we continue to not let our past mistakes, who we used to be, what we used to do, etc., slow us down, we can actually achieve much more on this plane than Jesus did! (He said that, not me.) John 14:11-13; Heb. 12:1-4. The effect of confidence-powered perseverance is what we all need, not just to finish watching 1,000 episodes of one TV show, but to make it through this life, steadily connected to our Creator, walking in willful submission and obedience, to achieve the purposes set by the Author of Eternity.

Luffy might be a reckless, impetuous, silly child to some, but to me, he's a reminder of what bold faith looks like in action: something that helped me choose to pursue a PhD in sex education with a mission to speak to the people of God about sex in a way that will reconcile them to His Will, and still promote happy, healthy, pleasurable sex. In a world where it's so easy to promote the wrong thing, or lead others down the wrong path, it takes confidence to speak to others about a subject that has been will fully shunned, and engage in ministry to those who engage in lifestyles contrary to Scripture. How will I minister to communities and people who live lifestyles that look different from mine? Lifestyles that have been loudly rejected by church folk, to the point that they don’t feel there’s a Christ for them to find in this world? I do so, resting on the confidence that Christ who called me to it, will lead me through it, giving me the words to say in due season.  Luke 12:11-12; Prov. 15:23. And if I’m faithful enough to just lift Him up, He’ll do the rest. John 12:32. That way, I can attain my crown. But even better, I can reveal the path of Life to those who are shrouded in painful, stifling darkness, reminding them that the Light is also theirs to have and keep, and a crown can await them as well. So I press on. Boldly, even when it’s hard. Heb. 4:16. 

Maybe the key is to stop mystifying everything and just be bold. Be confident. Regardless of what anyone thinks or says. That’s the key to staying on the right path. But regardless of how things roll out for you, remember you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. And that’s before God’s addition. I hope you choose to be confident in these things as well…