THE ROAD Less Traveled
The hallmark of the just and righteous
Mike Tyson during his formative years in boxBy Jason Herring ing, once said: “To see a man beaten not by a This past March marked the 50th anniversary better opponent but by himself is a tragedy.” of Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier in what was Our greatest battles are always fought with Self. dubbed then and still considered now “The There is no more formidable opponent than Fight of the Century”. It was the first of an Ego. It’s not that sometimes we are our own epic trilogy that was as entertaining as any worst enemy. Unchecked and unguarded, we Rocky film but more so. In the final round of are always our own worst enemy. The comprethe bout, Frazier sent Ali to the canvas for the hensive laundry list of sins comes from within first time in his career. As I watched the fight replayed in tribute to the classic contest, I was our hearts, Jesus said, and they defile our charstill amazed at how quickly Ali got back up. acter and conduct. The right side of his jaw was considerably swolHow then do we respond to implosion? The len – nearly as bad as Frazier’s left eye. Most same way we respond to any type of adversity. men would’ve stayed down. Ali was not most We get up. We learn from our mistakes. And we men. grow forward. Two years after the slugfest, a still undefeated Jason Herring The sage of Israel wrote to his son: “A just Frazier would face another unblemished oppoman falls seven times, and rises up again” nent in George Foreman. Frazier was knocked down six times (Proverbs 24:16). He didn’t say why he fell or how he fell. Just in less than five minutes before the fight was called halfway that he fell. And for whatever reason, he gets up again and through the second round. Foreman hit Frazier with shots inagain and again. If seven is the number of completion, then cluding an uppercut that would’ve taken the heart out of most we can conclude that he always gets back up again. He is men. Frazier was not most men. He kept getting up even as committed to the struggle. He will crawl if need be to find the friends and family at ringside were begging him to stay down, ropes and pull himself to his unsure feet. He is a just man. He even as Angelo Dundee could be heard screaming ringside: justifies his existence by rising up from his mistakes as well as “Stop the fight! Stop the fight!” adverse circumstances beyond his control. This is what I’ve always loved about the so-called Sweet SciIt’s Joe Frazier begging his trainer Eddie Futch not to stop ence. It’s Mike Tyson getting knocked senseless by “Buster” the fight before the 15th round of The Thrilla in Manila, even Douglas before a stunned crowd in Tokyo, and then crawling though his eyes were swollen shut and he could have suffered on all fours to find his mouthpiece so he can regain his feet to irreparable damage in that final round. In the opposite corner, keep on fighting even when he’s clearly in no condition to do Ali might have been in more serious danger, saying it was the so. I’m too young to remember Ali vs. Frazier, but I was 13 closest he ever came to dying in the ring. He literally collapsed years old when James “Buster” Douglas shocked the world in when the fight was called. There was no “Ali shuffle”, no showTokyo by knocking out “The Baddest Man on the Planet”. At boating. There were just two men who had left everything they the time it was unbelievable and I was only too happy to see had in a 21-foot square. Call it ‘heart’, call it ‘mettle’, call it the undefeated champ knocked off his throne. In the years ‘grit’. When it translates into real life, it’s what Solomon called since, however, I’ve come to respect and admire the scene of the fighter stumbling on wobbly legs with his mouthpiece stick- the hallmark of the just and righteous. n ing halfway out of his mouth ready to face the next barrage. Jason Herring is a father to four amazing kids and husThe word we use for that is mettle, which is the same as the band to his wife, Suzanne, of 21 years. In 2009 they word metal but spelled differently to denote the figurative experienced two miscarriages and the loss of their 4-yearsense. These were men of metal – iron men – who showed the quality of their elements by how they responded to getting old son Josiah to cancer. In the wake of that devastation, Jason has sought to share hope with others who walk that knocked down. Their substance was revealed in the forge of same valley. He is passionate about his family, mountains, adversity. Spartan Races, history books, writing, and speaking on the Life has a way of knocking us down and sometimes we have a way of knocking ourselves down. Cus D’Amato, who trained grace of God.
Medicare Help
Are you turning 65 soon, new to the area, or want to change your current plan? Call me for the help you need regarding anything Medicare.
Matt Faller Medicare Insurance
(208) 258-1470
matt@mattfallerinsurance.com
12 May / June 2021 | Christian Living
Hope, Inspiration & a New Perspective
Just $12.00 A year
Get Christian Living Magazine delivered to your mailbox! Two Ways to Subscribe:
Online: - or - Mail: Name, Info & Payment ChristianLivingMag.com Christian Living Magazine under “Shop” Tab PO Box 867, Meridian, ID 83680
www.christianlivingmag.com
