It would be fair to say that many of us fall victim to stereotypes on a regular basis.
People make broad assumptions about us based on our appearance or what we do. If you are tall, then you must have played basketball. If you are from the inner city, then you must like rap music. If you work at Walmart, some people will assume you probably did not graduate from high school.
Stereotypes sometimes contain an element of truth. Most of the time, however, they grossly misrepresent a person because they rest on flawed assumptions.
Consider the stereotype of a church elder: gentle, peaceful, well-educated, good with words and deeply in love with God.
Now consider the stereotype of a mixed martial artist: aggressive, violent, athletic, good with his fists and probably not very loving.
Those two generalities seem to be polar opposites. Yet what if I told you the roles are compatible?
Not only are they compatible, but one man fills both of them: Erick Correa.
More Than His Roles
Erick is a 30-year-old man from Chicago who fills many roles. He is a Christian, husband, daddy, personal trainer, MMA fighter and church elder.
None of those roles defines him, however.
His MMA record does not define him either, even though it stands at an impressive 4-1. He is not an MMA fighter who happens to be a Christian.
Erick Correa is a follower of Christ who finds his identity in Christ alone.
Correa says the calling of his life is summed up by the principle expressed in Romans 14:6: “Anything I do, I do for the glory of God.”
He approaches everything in life as an act of worship, from fighting in the ring to serving his church.
Even as I interviewed Erick for this piece, he took his daughter to the gym. He wanted to give his wife a break while she cared for their 1-week-old son.
This hulking man stands 6 feet tall and weighs 262 pounds. Yet the work of the Spirit has also produced gentleness in him.
His life shows that a man can fight for a living while still loving God, loving his wife and shepherding his family.
A Leader in the Ring and the Church
God created Erick to lead.
“My gift is to shepherd, and it has always kind of been,” Correa says.
He has shown natural leadership since he played Little League sports as a child. Later, he became a successful Golden Gloves boxer.
The leaders of Legacy Christian Fellowship recognized Erick’s leadership qualities. They also believed he met the qualifications of a church elder.
Since stepping into the role, he has faithfully and lovingly shepherded the congregation at Legacy.
Correa sees no conflict between serving as an elder and competing as an MMA fighter.
Visitors at Legacy can sometimes act standoffish when they first learn about his MMA lifestyle. Instead of arguing with them, Erick lets his life and love for God reveal who he really is.
Some people may say MMA is incompatible with the Christian life because of its violence. Yet the same argument could apply to football. We have no problem elevating Tim Tebow and Kurt Warner as Christian role models.
A Metaphor for the Christian Life
MMA can also point to something greater.
“I feel that my MMA career is a metaphor for the Christian life,” Correa says.
MMA requires an incredible amount of discipline and preparation. A fighter has to eat well, train hard, receive good coaching and make sacrifices.
The Christian must also feed on the Word of God, remain at war with the flesh, seek sharpening from other believers and give of himself sacrificially.
Paul makes a direct connection between fighting and the Christian faith in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27:
“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Fighting the flesh and fighting for the faith are essential parts of the Christian life.
We should remember that before assuming men like Erick Correa live and fight in a way that contradicts Scripture.
Instead, we should see a living picture of the Christian life. It is a call to be both strong and gentle, fierce and gracious, passionate in victory and resilient in defeat.