{"id":1547,"date":"2015-06-29T21:54:41","date_gmt":"2015-06-30T05:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/kateohare\/?p=1547"},"modified":"2015-06-30T22:19:43","modified_gmt":"2015-07-01T06:19:43","slug":"five-reasons-why-american-ninja-warrior-is-catholic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kateohare\/2015\/06\/five-reasons-why-american-ninja-warrior-is-catholic\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Is Catholic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"American-Ninja-Warrior-Venice-P\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Airing on NBC and Esquire, \u201cAmerican Ninja Warrior\u201d<\/a> sends competitors through grueling obstacle courses on the way to the ultimate course in Las Vegas \u2014 which no man nor woman has yet been able to conquer.<\/p>\n

For three California nights recently \u2014 two at Venice Beach, and one in front of the USS Iowa in Long Beach \u2014 I watched dozens of hopefuls tackle two different versions of the \u201cANW\u201d course, under the watchful eyes of hosts Matt Iseman (below; also a standup comic, a standup guy, and a longtime pal) and former NFLer\u00a0Akbar Gbajabiamila, a \"American-Ninja-Warrior-Venice-Matt-Iseman-P\"<\/a>Southern California native.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have no idea of the religious beliefs, if any, of most of the hopefuls (except for a Catholic friend of mine, who competed wearing his scapular), but there\u2019s a lot about the show that resonates with our view of the world (and I\u2019ve already recommended it <\/a>for Catholic viewing).<\/p>\n

Here are five reasons why \u201cAmerican Ninja Warrior\u201d is Catholic:<\/p>\n

1) You can\u2019t earn salvation merely through works (but works do matter) \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

To finish the qualifying course and then to take on Mount Midoriyama in Las Vegas (it\u2019s not a mountain, it\u2019s just a bigger, multi-stage obstacle course), you have to put in the work. You have to condition and train and sweat. But even the best-prepared athletes can miss a grip, put a foot wrong, and slip and fall. Works without grace<\/a> only get you so far \u2014 and training without a bit of luck won\u2019t get you up the warped wall.<\/p>\n

2) Angels fly because they take themselves lightly \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of the most successful competitors have achieved such a level of physical awareness and control that they seem to float over the course. In a moment of transcendence, mind, body and spirit have become one. We are not souls trapped in bodies, or merely fleshly cases for spirits. Catholics have an entire Theology of the Body<\/a>, after all.<\/p>\n

3) Redemption comes through suffering \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Training is brutal on the body, on the mind, on the schedule and on the pocketbook. Competitors have to pay in blood, bone, time and money if they want to become the best. But the suffering is not without purpose<\/a>, and even if they don\u2019t win or complete the course, the effort has its own rewards.<\/p>\n

4) We are all joined in the Body of Christ \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Competitors usually come accompanied by friends and family, and behind almost every one is a group of dedicated people that helped him or her get ready for the course. Even those that come alone find themselves cheered on by the crowd and fellow competitors. The Cross points upward to God, but it also points out to our fellow man. We need the love and support of our brother and sister Catholics <\/a>to reach Heaven.<\/p>\n

5) We know from whence\u00a0comes our help \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s personal trainer Michelle Warnky<\/a> \u2014 wearing her Christian faith on her sleeve (and on her leg) \u2014 who didn\u2019t complete the course in the Pittsburgh tryouts but had a good enough time to make it through to the next round.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle-Warnky\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Psalm 121<\/p>\n

1\u00a0<\/b>A song of ascents.<\/p>\n

I raise my eyes toward the mountains.<\/p>\n

From whence shall come my help?<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/span>My help comes from the LORD<\/small>,<\/p>\n

the maker of heaven and earth.<\/p>\n

3\u00a0<\/span>He will not allow your foot to slip;<\/p>\n

or your guardian to sleep.<\/p>\n

4\u00a0<\/span>Behold, the guardian of Israel<\/p>\n

never slumbers nor sleeps.<\/p>\n

5\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>The LORD<\/small>\u00a0is your guardian;<\/p>\n

the LORD<\/small>\u00a0is your shade<\/p>\n

at your right hand.<\/p>\n

6\u00a0<\/span>By day the sun will not strike you,<\/p>\n

nor the moon by night.<\/p>\n

7\u00a0<\/span>The LORD<\/small>\u00a0will guard you from all evil;<\/p>\n

he will guard your soul.<\/p>\n

8\u00a0<\/span>The LORD<\/small>\u00a0will guard your coming and going<\/p>\n

both now and forever.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAmerican Ninja Warrior\u201d airs Mondays on NBC<\/a>, and Tuesdays <\/a>on its sister cablenet, Esquire.<\/p>\n

Images: Kate O\u2019Hare<\/em><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss a thing: head over to my other home at\u00a0CatholicVote<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>and like my\u00a0Facebook page.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Airing on NBC and Esquire, \u201cAmerican Ninja Warrior\u201d sends competitors through grueling obstacle courses on the way to the ultimate course in Las Vegas \u2014 which no man nor woman has yet been able to conquer. For three California nights recently \u2014 two at Venice Beach, and one in front of the USS Iowa in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2174,"featured_media":1548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4,15,3],"tags":[51,52],"class_list":["post-1547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-media","category-media","category-sports","category-television","tag-american-ninja-warrior","tag-michelle-warnky"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Reasons Why 'American Ninja Warrior' Is Catholic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Airing on NBC and Esquire, "American Ninja Warrior" sends competitors through grueling obstacle courses on the way to the ultimate course in Las Vegas --\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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