I have to admit I love Super Hero movies. I love the Marvel Universe. I love Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Spider Man and I am just as geeked out over the DC Comics world Batman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League. Add to that the Transformers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and you have an inner 12 year old going out of his mind.
However, it begs the question. Why? Why all of a sudden the overwhelming bombardment of Superhero movies, TV shows and fascination. It has always been popular but I’ve never seen it like this. So you must ask why? The skeptic would say because people keep spending money to watch it. Yes, that is why Hollywood is making them but what is our fascination?
I believe it is really quite simple. We need heroes. In a world so polarized where according to the talking heads on TV depending on which channel you are watching one group is always evil. If you watch MSNBC then the Republicans are evil and don’t care about anyone. If you watch FOX then the Democrats are evil and don’t care about anyone. We hear conservative preachers call the liberals false prophets and we hear the liberal preachers call the conservative ones Pharisees.
It is hard to swim through the quagmire and determine what is good.
I was teaching a Bible Study the other day and we were unpacking Galatians 5:22, the Fruit of the Spirit. When it came to discussing Goodness, I noticed the group had a hard time nailing down what was “good”. That is how we have drifted. We can’t define good.
Our society is getting more and more morally vague. It is frightening. Everyone wants to discuss moral issues without bringing up morality. We turn on a football game and have to hear about the courage of homosexuals. We hear stories of terror and focus on the plight of the terrorist. We are losing our compass. Mainly because we are forgetting to talk. Facebook memes have replaced water cooler discussions for framing our opinions. Tweets out of emotion trump a well thought out opinion.
Jesus said in Mark 4:21-23
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
God is good. His truth is good. His message is good. It is not meant to be hidden or cloaked or watered down. It is meant to be out there shining a light for all to see. If anyone has ears to hear…let them hear.
Let them hear what is good. Then, maybe we won’t NEED the Hero movies so much. But, I hope they still keep on making them!
Sean Rheaume 