Tyson vs Paul, a reflection.
Did any of you stay up late last night, like I did, to watch the Tyson vs Paul match? Was it real or just a massive publicity stunt? I don’t know. Regardless, it generated some thoughts about some “sacred cows” of our culture…
"Iron Mike" Tyson - the greatest boxer and cultural icon of his generation, the prior generation vs Jake Paul - a vlogger and social media icon turned professional boxer desperately trying to prove his mettle. There was a ton of hype around the match. I'm not a fan of boxing. I definitely don't follow the sport. But I certainly know the names and reputations of the two men involved. However, that's not what lured me in. What lured me in was the way this match confronted some of our most sacred cultural beliefs.
On one hand, we live in a world that puts physical youth and beauty on a pedestal. We are told over and over again to deny and even hide our age. On the other hand, we live in a world that despises anything new. The "way we've always done things" and the "things that have always been" are sacred cows and any challenge to their cultural supremacy is scoffed at and ridiculed. In other words, we live a ceaselessly contradictory and self absorbed existence lying to ourselves that we're not aging while rejecting anything (or anyone) novel or new.
As I watched that fight last night, these were the thoughts going through my mind. I found myself wondering, "assuming Tyson doesn't just knock him out with one of his famous upper cuts, how does Jake Paul even win this fight? What path does he actually have for a moral victory and not just a professional win?" Think about it: If he knocks Tyson out, he's just the "young punk who beat up on an old man." If Tyson knocks him out, well, he's the "kid who got beat up by an old man." Then the match played out and, while many will say it was scripted or staged (and who am I to say that it wasn't?), I found myself giving Jake Paul an emotional pat on the back for doing it right.
Paul won. He unanimously won the match. He was clearly the better fighter. Tyson simply didn't have the wherewithal to fight like he once did 30 years ago. However, he did stand toe to toe with Paul for all eight rounds. But, more importantly than all of that, Paul won while honoring and respecting the titan who came before him - he even used the final ten seconds of the match to bow in a literal expression of respect. And that, my friends, is how it ought to be done.
We read in Proverbs 16:31, "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness." Then a few chapters later in Proverbs 20:29, "The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old."
There are a variety of passages I could reference here that point us all to same conclusion - age isn't something to hide. It's to be respected, honored and celebrated. The experience and wisdom found among those who've "been there, done that" is priceless. Likewise, the energy and creativity that stems from youth isn't something to be scoffed at either. New people, ideas and things aren't all inherently bad. In fact, it's when these things come together with mutual respect for one another, young and old, experience and energy, wisdom and creativity, that we find what God truly intended by the power of community.
If you're on the older side of the scales, don't hide it; celebrate it. Your life experience and wisdom is a priceless commodity. If you're still young, harness that youthful energy and creativity, but do so more effectively by learning from those who came before you. This is how we grow - both personally and corporately. This is the way.