I’m sitting in front of my TV, watching CBS wade into the world of Mixed Martial Arts. It’s amazing that just a handful of years ago, this sport was unknown and unwelcome in many states.

This year I’ve begun to wade into Mixed Martial Arts training.

Don’t be too impressed. I’m nearly forty-years-old. I’m sporting a bit of a gut from years of being glued to my lap top writing books.

I few months ago I met a new family at guy. Making conversation, Will mentioned that he had a martial arts background. I’ve got a black belt in taekwondo. I asked him what his background and he listed seven or eight disciplines. What he didn’t tell me is that he was also a USMC combat instructor and ran one of the first UFC endorsed martial arts schools.

We decided that we both needed to get into shape. We met in the early morning to train and do some “light sparring.”

I’m trained in Olympic style fighting so my goal was to kick his ribs and head while avoiding getting struck. There are no points for punches. There’s no ground game, no grappling, or clinching. It’s fencing with your feet. What I learned, very quickly, is that Will had no such limits. He grabbed, kicked below the hips (a TKD no-no), and stomped on feet when he could. Oh, Will’s fighting tradition definitely includes a ground game.

I went home sore and in need of Aspirin.

Over the past few months I’ve been thinking a lot about the differences between our fighting cultures. Culture sets priorities. My fighting tradition is has been domesticated by Western culture and the Olympic committee. That culture shapes my goals– score more points than your opponent. Will’s fighting culture was birthed in the Marines. The goal was different– disable or destroy your opponent so you can go home at the end of the day.

Thinking about fighting has made me aware of how my cultural background shapes my goals, in ways that I’m not even aware of. I’ve got a church background , which provides an odd mix of being aware of God but also distracted by tradition. I’ve got thirty-nine years of experience living in a consumer culture. I’m a white suburbanite. Certainly all of those cultural influences shape my priorities. And I wonder how I can know which of the cultural forces is driving me at any given moment. When am I acting as a Christ-follower? Or when am I being an all too willing consumer?

Perhaps clarity comes when, like with my training with Will, I choose to engage people from different cultures and have to think more intentionally about my next move.

Larry Shallenberger is the author of Divine Intention: How God’s Work in the Early Church Empowers Us Today.