Something I find interesting is the phenomenon of Superheroes. Gifted persons fighting enemies and sacrificing everything to save the world. It’s a very common thread throughout all forms of media in today’s world, whether that’s movies, books, kids shows or theatre.
Humanity likes superheroes stories. Why?
I think this ties quite directly into my theory about great stories. I talked about this at length in my October 16 Secretary’s Corner; we have this deep-down longing for stories that surpass what we see in this world. The epic stories, the ones that showcase God’s Truth.
Superhero stories have their place in this as well. It gives us hope for what can be accomplished in this world, even if some of the ideas are a little far-fetched.
What makes a superhero? Sometimes it’s people with extraordinary abilities. They use those talents to keep the world safe and look super cool while doing it. Usually there’s some saving the world involved.
Other times, it’s the ordinary person, the unlikely hero who would rather be somewhere else. Po from the Kung Fu Panda movie comes to mind for me. Someone who, from the outside, doesn’t look like anything special. But everyone finds out that there is something special in this unassuming character. And they save the world.
We are drawn to these characters in a strange way. My theory is that we like to see things that we know are unrealistic because it reaffirms that belief that amazing things are possible and maybe, just maybe, we are capable of heroic acts just like heroes.
And the truth is, God created us with that longing for justice and for heroics. There is a reason God often commands his people to look out for the widow and the orphan – he cares about the people in society who get overlooked or need saving.
The Bible is ultimately one big Rescue Plan, as the Jesus Storybook Bible puts it, to rescue us from the clutches of sin and death forever.
And guess what? We’ve already been rescued and redeemed. Christ paid the ultimate price for us in a heroic act of laying down his life for ours. We have hope in the Saving of All Things talked about in Revelation, when creation is renewed and every knee will bow before God.
Jesus is the ultimate superhero.
