Superhero Fan?
Okay, I’m going to geek out on you here for a moment and jump into the DC and Marvel universes.
I don’t know about you, but my kids love these superhero movies. They love the strength of character, spirit, and body that these individuals display. They love the action-packed storylines and the way the superheroes save the day each time.
My kids are not alone. These box-office mega hits have created a mass mania across the world that speaks to youngsters and adults alike. All you have to do is go to a local comic convention to see grown adults decked out in their favorite superheroes’ costumes to understand that this craze knows no bounds!
Why?
Of course, there is the exciting storyline, incredible special effects, and action-packed sequences that keep you glued to the screen, wanting more. But I think there is something much more primal and innate behind this resurgence in popularity for the superhero. I think it’s because, at our very core, we’re all looking to be saved.
In Superman Returns, Superman admonishes Lois Lane in her Pulitzer Prize newspaper piece by saying, “Lois, you say the world doesn’t need a savior, but every day, I hear people crying for one.”
Superman is right. However, he’s wrong to think that he fills these rather large shoes. We indeed are all desperately crying out for a savior, but unlike Superman and all these other well-loved superheroes, Jesus is not a temporary fix. He couldn’t be more different than these folklore legends of the screen.
Unlike them, Jesus does not make mistakes, and He’s not overwhelmed by human emotions like pride, wrath, or fear. Instead, Jesus is consistent in his thoughts, words, and actions. He is not affected by Kryptonite, wracked by inner or outer demons, or outsmarted by his enemies.
He also didn’t live a double life or wear a mask to hide His identity. Instead, he radically proclaimed himself as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. His superpowers were His words and actions. He healed the sick, admonished the self-righteous, and illustrated how to live by the way He lived. He invited the lesser to walk with Him and loved everyone. Most importantly, he truly saved us from sin and death (and not just our temporary troubles).
Although those movie superheroes have scores of fans, Jesus asks us to fellowship with him. He seeks a real, personal, and ongoing relationship with us.
Finally, unlike these onscreen, fictional characters, Jesus is real. He breathed, He died, and He lives again, and only He can truly save us once and for all.
So, the next time you’re at the theater’s concession stand bathing your popcorn in extra butter in preparation for the next action-packed superhero movie, say a silent prayer in thanks to the actual, real-life superhero who is fighting every single day to save your life!
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FOR CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED ONCE FOR SINS, THE RIGHTEOUS FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS, TO BRING YOU TO GOD. HE WAS PUT TO DEATH IN THE BODY BUT MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT.
