Where is our Superhero?

I was very humbled when Carol asked me to give the message this week since she is out of town and I have been very nervous for weeks!  I know it is hard to believe that I would be nervous seeing that I stand up here each week for a few minutes and share personal details of my life.  But... there is something different about being asked to “fill in” for Carol.  Then I realized that I didn’t need to “fill in”.  I wasn’t going to be able to "fill in" anything of Carol…so I decided to do what I have been doing…just for 10 minutes longer! 

I am going to Keep It Real.  I was talking to my mom awhile ago about the state of affairs in our nation and our society and in our own lives and my mom said, “We need a Superhero of our own.”  She said it quietly and there was no noise outside (which is surprising since we live on a farm with goats, chickens, donkeys and cows) and I really thought about what she said.  I came to the conclusion that we  do have  a superhero of our own…we just forget sometimes.

My first comic books were the Archie series but other than Jughead’s ability to eat massive amounts of food there were no real superhuman powers.  My brother had comic books but his were more graphic than mine…and for those comic book lovers out there I will be careful to distinguish between Archie comics and Graphic Novels!  His told tales of men that could leap buildings in a single bound, that could take corners in a SUPER fast vehicle, shoot arrows that never missed and of course the famous woman with a lasso and bracelets….although I think that one was more about the woman than the abilities!  I have always known the phrase “It’s a bird, It’s a plane, It’s Superman for as long as I can remember and I even say it to my own children.  Superheroes are a part of our culture and no matter how many times they kill off Superman, he seems to just keep coming back. 

The problem with GRAPHIC NOVEL superheroes is that I can’t measure up to them.  Even if I have the same convictions, wear a super cool costume, develop an arch nemesis (in my case, dirty dishes), and gather myself an entourage (Jack and Jake); I will never be able to fly, I will never  swim across the oceans and breathe underwater (my parents tried to get me to take scuba lessons, didn’t work out for the girl afraid of sharks), I will never fly through the city on a web (primarily because I am terrified of spiders), I will never be able to control someone’s mind, see through objects and create weather shifts just by waving my arms around. I won’t ever be able to do any of that and after watching movie after movie that has come out…I am not really sure I would want that kind of responsibility. They are on a pedestal that I can never reach.

Since we have so many superheroes portrayed in various forms of media I thought it would be neat to find out what it took to qualify as a superhero… 

1. Extraordinary Powers:  Either Inhuman or created by man
2. Strong Moral Code
3. A Secret Identity
4. A Distinctive Costume
5. A Supporting Cast
6. An Archenemy or a number of enemies standing against you and your beliefs
7. Headquarters
8. A Back Story
9. A Weakness

Hmmm…Extraordinary Powers, Strong Moral Code, Supporting Cast, A Back Story,….A superhero that is here to save us all, a superhero that that is so convicted in his beliefs that he would die for them and for us, a superhero that had such a great supporting cast that they have an entire testament to tell their stories.  But what is one key difference about this superhero that varies from the others, he was sent to earth to live among us so that we would know Him better.  He was sent here so that through him we might live a better life. He was sent here so that because of him we would be able to learn from, teach others and live our lives they way he lived his.  And by now I am pretty sure you have guessed I am talking about Jesus.  There is no other way I know to Keep Jesus Real and apply him to our everyday life than to view him like Superhero.

Before I mentioned what it took to be considered a Superhero and I want to go through those one more time:

             

1. Extraordinary Powers: He healed the sick, blind and brought the dead back to life. He walked on water to teach his disciples to really believe in him, he was able to feed 5000 on 5 loaves and 2 fish and there are countless more examples in the Gospels. Supernatural Powers, meaning not of this earth. 
2. Strong Moral Code: Do we really need examples of that?  In Matthew Chapters 5-7 Jesus expands on the commandments that Moses gave and gives even further explanation.  He ends in Chapter 7 with what we all are taught in Grade School, the Golden Rule:  “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12.   And not only that, knowing death is coming he stands strong, faces his accusers even though he is innocent of any wrongdoing and he prevents his disciples from interfering on his behalf because he knows what must be done if he is going to show the people who he is.
3. A Secret Identity:  It isn’t quite so secret since he says he is the Messiah; however I think it still applies since many of the Jews didn’t believe in him. Many times, even his disciples would questions him and ask for proof. And he would provide it.
4. A Distinctive Costume:  Jesus may not have been walking around in tights but when you see a purple cloth and a crown of thorns don’t you feel a twinge inside and know that those items belong to him.
5. A Supporting Cast: We can name 12 of them right way (even though one falls into two categories) but he also had many followers as well! His Disciples continued his teachings after his death and help spread what is now known as Christianity.
6. A Number of Enemies:  off the top of our head we may say Pontius Pilate and Herod but we know through the stories that they both found Jesus to not be guilty of any crime and wanted to release him, Luke 23:13-25,   but it was the people who didn’t believe, the people he was here to teach.  In Superhero stories how many times do the people of the “city” turn against their hero on false information and betray him as soon as hero does something they don’t like.  It is in almost every movie made about Superheroes. And then, there is Judas, a follower that turns his back on Jesus.
7. Headquarters: Jesus had mobile headquarters. He didn't get a nifty bat mobile but he traveled to Galilee, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Gennsaret, synagogues, beaches, desserts and Jerusalem.  And he traveled more places that those.  He was a moving practice and the more places he went the more people followed.
8. A Back-story: A back-story pretty far back…all the way to Deuteronomy with Moses  (D18:17-19) and Isaiah 7:14-16 .  A Virgin Mother, born of the House of David, born to be the Son of God. No comic book hero has that kind of story!
9. A Weakness: Us.  Which also proves his strength.  He dies for us. He dies for our sins. He dies so we may experience freedom. 

Jesus came to live amongst us, to grow amongst us, to teach us. He grew up a common man in a common family as a common child, teenager and adult.  He did so not only would we hear his teachings but so that we would UNDERSTAND them, witness his power and live his message. This Superhero lived so that we could be like him in the way we live. And while we may not be able to put our hands on someone and heal their blindness through the kindness of our touch we can help heal them inside. By collecting shoes and socks and traveling to other countries we touch and heal the lives of so many, by helping hurricane victims we heal them, by tutoring students and providing them with meals we heal them, by building wheelchair ramps we heal them, by visiting the sick, the lonely, and the forgotten we heal them all with hope and love, by giving our time to children with VBS, Sunday School, Topsy Turvy, Youth, Crop Walks and by going that that extra mile we teach them to love and live through Jesus. By listening to Carol on Saturdays and Sunday we are often reminded of the power of God and how we got to experience that power through Jesus.  We are constantly reminded, even when we forget as we go through our days, that someone believes so much in our enormous potential.  

So the next time you think we need a Superhero in our city, pick up the bible, read a story and then look in the mirror. Jesus made superheroes out of all of us.