Even with the advent of Captain Marvel and recent blockbusters featuring Black Panther, Aquaman, WonderWoman and Spiderman, Batman remains the hands-down favorite superhero in our house. For me, that means Adam West but for the kids it means something entirely different. They don’t understand why Christopher Reeve will forever be Superman in my mind and they care about the origin stories in ways I’ve never considered. I have learned that I dare not mix DC and Marvel characters or story lines. “These are different realms entirely!,” I am told. Each hero has his or her own powers and flaws which is fodder for endless conversations.
If you could have a super power, what would it be? Earth-bending is the newest answer I’ve heard to that question. For those out of the loop, that’s from Avatar. My husband still wants to fly and I want the ability to be in multiple places at the same time. Reading minds or knowing everything that is known has also been at the top of the wish list from time to time. These are teachable moments for each of us and all of us.
For her birthday last year I got Eliana a t-shirt that features Jesus sharing with a sampling of fictional heroes how he saved the world. And therein lies the point: Jesus is the real hero, the Hero of heroes, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Recently on Mornings with Carmen, I talked with Bill Delvaux about his book in which he analyzes why boys resonate with the hero identity. The heoric narrative is the narrative of the stories we love to tell and long to live. But how do we make the connection between the world as it is and the calling of each man to be a hero on a quest for Christ?
Bill talks about how a man inspired by the heroic and connected to Christ as the ultimate hero can:
- Find a guide in Jesus to help them navigate the quest of life.
- Own an identity in Christ as a son of the Father, brother of the great hero himself, and part of a great tribe of fellow Christians questing together against a great enemy and for a greater Good.
- Discover a quest for Christ, something unique to do in the advancement of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdoms of this world.
Every Christian possesses great power because we are endowed with the Holy Spirit of the living God. We have faith that Jesus says moves mountains. We have the name of the One who defeated the penalty of sin in death and the power of sin in life. We have the fellowship of believers which means we have untold numbers of brothers and sisters upon whom we can call and depend. Together we are not only a force to be reckoned with but a family fully reconciled to God, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation that others might come to know the Savior and hero of us all!
What an adventure! What a calling! What a quest!
Bill Delvaux on who needs a hero
