Yoda's Wisdom, Roy Williams' Journey, and Chandler Bolt's Revelation: Tension Between Gurus and Practitioners

Recently, while listening to a Star Wars podcast, the host explored the original plans for the original trilogy and the iconic character, Grand Master Yoda.

Surprisingly, Yoda was initially envisioned as a Jedi guru, knowledgeable about the Force and lightsabers but lacking personal, practical experience in using them. He had seen others do it. He read some books about it.

This concept is similar to a coach who, despite not playing the sport, can teach others to do it well and at a high level.

As a North Carolina Tar Heels fan, the former coach of the men’s basketball team, Roy Williams, is a great example.

Although he excelled at the high school level and played on UNC’s freshmen team, Williams was not a basketball star. He was mentored by some great coaches, and ultimately won three National Championships as head coach at UNC.

He is now a Hall of Fame coach and considered one of the greatest to ever do it.

Again, this is what Yoda was supposed to be. Someone who knew a lot about the Force, but not because of his expertise in using it.

Chandler Bolt of SelfPublishing.com shares in his book Published why he dropped out of college because his business professor had never run a business.

Bolt dropped out because his opinion, and mine, is how can you learn about running a business from someone who has never run an actual business.

Now this doesn’t mean this professor could not provide anything of value, but there is a difference between knowing about something and being a practitioner.

The Bible speaks to this same concept in James chapter 1 verse 22, “But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Jesus says something similar in Matthew 7:24-27:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

There is a mass of individuals possessing great knowledge about the Bible and Jesus but lacking a personal connection with Him.

Disciples, followers of Jesus, are urged not to be gurus with Gospel information but practitioners, engaging in acts of love, service, teaching, and sharing their faith.

So, where do find yourself on this spectrum: a guru with a lot of head knowledge or a practitioner who has a lot of head knowledge and hands-on experience?

Let me leave you with two more thoughts that I heard my dad say many times:

1) If they arrested you today for being a Christian, would they have enough evidence to convict you?

2) And, are you a Christian with 20 years of experience or a Christian with one year of experience 20 times?

Guru? Practitioner? Or both?

Anyway, I was just thinking…