Kicking Trees

Summary

The karate kid inspired me. Not to do anything important like train to become like Danny Larusso. To kick trees and hurt myself. So often we think it is enough to pretend or live vicariously through the things we consume. But we will never be able to build the kind of vulnerable communities, communities that form the foundation of the better, if all we do is hope for the communities to serve us. We can not just be consumers, we have to contribute.

Episode Timestamps

(00:00) - The Karate Kid backyard incident

(04:12) - How consumption shapes identity

(05:25) - Cultural encouragement of the consumer mindset

(06:58) - The impact on our communities

(08:57) - Moving from systems to relationship

(11:12) - Practical steps toward participation

Key Themes

• The illusion of transformation through consumption - How watching, reading, or observing can give us the feeling of growth without actual change

• Participation versus spectatorship - The crucial distinction between consuming community content and actively creating community relationships

• The hidden costs of passive engagement - Why consumption-based approaches to community ultimately leave us more isolated and fragmented

• Moving from “magic button” thinking to intentional action - Understanding that genuine transformation requires sustained effort and vulnerability

• The relationship between presence and response - How authentic community requires both showing up and actively engaging, not just observing from the sidelines

Memorable Quotes

“Transformation cannot occur without intentional action. If we want to become something that we are not, we must pursue that change. Consumption is not enough to truly transform someone.”

“When we merely consume community rather than participate in it, we often find ourselves shaped by external definitions rather than internal growth.”

“Participation isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes the most vulnerable form of participation is simply taking up space within a community.”

“What we think we’re consuming often ends up consuming us when we remain passive.”

“The shift from consumption to participation isn’t all-or-nothing. It happens step by step, choice by choice.”

Resources Mentioned

• The Karate Kid (1984 film)

• Andy Crouch’s observations on technology and transformation

• 1 Corinthians 12 (the body metaphor for community)

Reflection Questions

• Where in your life are you consuming community when you could be participating in it?

• What “magic button” solutions are you hoping will transform you without requiring your active engagement?

• How has passive consumption shaped your identity in ways you didn’t intend?

• What fears keep you from moving from spectator to participant in the communities you care about?

• What would it look like to take one small step from consumption toward contribution this week?

Call to Action

Consider one community you’re currently consuming rather than contributing to. What’s one small way you could shift from spectator to participant this week? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out on social media - but more importantly, take that step from watching to doing

Next Episode Preview

Next time, we shift our focus from community to purpose as we explore how our modern conveniences might be shrinking our world in unexpected ways. Join us as we examine what happens when tracking packages becomes more important than seeing the people right in front of us, and how finding our true purpose might require embracing the enormity of the world around us.

Until next time, may you be inspired to seek the better in your life and in the lives of your neighbors. May you be entranced by the possibilities this could bring to our world. And may you contemplate deeply what it means to not just observe but to participate in creating the communities we all long for.

Subscribe to The Better on your favorite podcast platform and share this episode with someone who might be ready to stop kicking trees and start building real community.