Geeks know.
Last week we explored how Geeks know Courage, Know Living for a Cause, and Know Their Enemy.
Those are all personal.
This week we’ll be exploring three other things geeks know, and they’ll be social: Geeks know mentors matter, Geeks know teamwork, and Geeks know family is worth fighting for.
Geeks know: Mentors Matter
Once again, we know this. Or should know it.
- Balian was trained by Godfrey in Kingdom of Heaven.
- Neo was trained by Morpheus in the Matrix.
- Bill and Ted are guided by Rufus in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
- Remy is trained (posthumously) by Auguste Gusteau in Ratatouille.
- The Ninja Turtles have Splinter.
- The mutants have professor X.
- Harry Potter has Dumbledore.
- Pretty much everyone in Middle Earth has Gandalf.
- Daniel Larusso has Mr. Myagi in Karate kid. Wax on, wax off.
- And of course, Luke has master Yoda.
This is just the starter list.
Geeks Know Excuses
Heroes need a mentor. And if heroes need a mentor, so do I. So do you. But do you have one? More often than not, the answer is no. Why is that? Here are some excuses I’ve used in my own life. See if you can relate.
- I don’t have the time. But in all the good stories, the mentor helps the hero past their personal threshold into greatness. I should make the time. And mentoring doesn’t have to be daily, weekly, or even regular. It just has to be there when we need it.
- I can’t find one. The season may not be right, but mentors are everywhere, if we have eyes to see. And remember rat Remy, who was mentored by Gusteau through a book he read.
- No one around me fits the bill. No one around you may be THE mentor of all mentors, but there are people around you with single admirable qualities you lack. Sure, they may not be epic in every category, but if they have something to offer, they can mentor you in their area of expertise.
- I can’t stand formal arrangements. Who says it has to be formal?
- No one has picked me. Fine. Then pick them. Make the ask. In fact, this morning I’m meeting for the first time with a pastor/leader with a lot of experience. I reached out by email, explained what I was looking for in a mentor, and asked him whether he was interested. He was.
Geeks know that mentors matter. If you’re a Christian Geek, you know Jesus was all about mentoring and how important it is. Now its time to act upon that knowledge.