There has been a lot of talk around our house about superheros. Which is interesting given that we don’t do superhero movies at our house. Nevertheless, our four year old is obsessed with them and seems to know everything about every one of them. So of course now our two year old daughter is also, by default, into superhero’s. In our house we’ve invented two new superheros “Fireman” and “Rescue Cinderella”. The job of both is simple; to rescue people and to protect against “bad guys”. Both superheros have a distinct way of dressing, a superhero pose, and an overinflated sense of confidence. So it got me thinking what is a “superhero” and what does a superhero do to be “Super”?
The most striking trait of a superhero is the mask and the alter ego. The mask allows them to exist as a superhero without letting people know their true identity. Every superhero story is wrought with the temptation to seek fame and popularity because of their superhero status, but the mask is what keeps them humble (or in the case of superman; a good deal more hair gel and the absence of glasses). When we look at Superman and Spiderman especially their alter egos are as rarely recognized pushovers who always get passed over by more powerful folk for promotions and girls. People work with and spend their time with these superheros without ever knowing the great work they do and the impact that they make.
If that is the mark of a superhero I believe we have superheros around us all the time. In our society, in our communities, in our families, and even in our churches we have people who want desperately to be a superhero except too often they don’t want to be superheroes who wear a mask, they want to be recognized, praised, and celebrated (These are superheros unmasked), but for every one of them there are fifty superheros who never get recognized, who will never have movies or documentaries made about them, who will go nameless, though their impact is great.
The Bible tells us about this. Jesus says in Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Paul also tell us in Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I wonder... can we name the volunteers at our local “Meals on Wheels”, the nurses at the ER and the Nursing home or the volunteers in those places as well, The hospice volunteers, etc. There are people going essential work in the community, saving lives, protecting us from evil, doing the behind the scenes work that the people up front are dependent on, people who never get recognized, and chances are they are people who don’t want to be recognized. These are the true superheros.
Recent, I’ve spoken to a few Christians who take a different approach to this. They are folk who do a lot of good but out of their mouths I’ve heard things such as “no one who does what I do”, or “I work alone” or that they “don’t work well with others”. I take issue with that. Again, for every one person going great work there are a good deal more behind the scenes who will never get recognized. Currently, I know personally people who are going into dangerous places to rescue people from evil. They go in with no protection, no militias, no power but that of the Lord, and they are effective. The likes of Destiny Rescue, Rev. Andrew White and his congregation in Baghdad, Christian Solidarity International (working in Sudan to rescue children and adults sold into slavery. 35000 to date), Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and many others. I know people who work in the midst of horrible diseases risking their own lives to take care of others. I know people who work sharing the Gospel, providing medical help, and rescuing children in countries where their very presence they risk being sentenced to death. Each is a part of the body of Christ working TOGETHER for the “common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).
I am reminded of one superhero in particular (Kind of a Superhero). The lone ranger. The lone ranger was, in fact, completely ineffective without his sidekick Tonto (actually the green lantern is similar). Yet, the lone ranger and the green lantern always made themselves out to be the LONE hero, yet without help they would fall flat. No believer in Jesus Christ doing the work of Christ should ever say “I don’t work well with others”. 1 Corinthians 12 is a command away from the “lone ranger” attitude. If we attempt to work alone we will eventually fall as we will work without being connected to the body, not only this but if we work alone we risk damaging the other parts of the body as well. For instance if we are an arm and decide we can work alone, we not only risk cutting ourselves off from the body but also the hand and the fingers as well.
We as believers must move in solidarity with the body of Christ especially with those who are doing the work of “Masked Superheros”. There are many, in our community and around the world. These are the folks who are doing the work for the sake of the work that needs to be done and for the glory of God and the salvation of his children. Stand with them, be a masked superhero yourself, go out and do what needs to be done and do it knowing that you are not the only one, but by walking along side the many unsung heroes who make up the Church.
The most striking trait of a superhero is the mask and the alter ego. The mask allows them to exist as a superhero without letting people know their true identity. Every superhero story is wrought with the temptation to seek fame and popularity because of their superhero status, but the mask is what keeps them humble (or in the case of superman; a good deal more hair gel and the absence of glasses). When we look at Superman and Spiderman especially their alter egos are as rarely recognized pushovers who always get passed over by more powerful folk for promotions and girls. People work with and spend their time with these superheros without ever knowing the great work they do and the impact that they make.
If that is the mark of a superhero I believe we have superheros around us all the time. In our society, in our communities, in our families, and even in our churches we have people who want desperately to be a superhero except too often they don’t want to be superheroes who wear a mask, they want to be recognized, praised, and celebrated (These are superheros unmasked), but for every one of them there are fifty superheros who never get recognized, who will never have movies or documentaries made about them, who will go nameless, though their impact is great.
The Bible tells us about this. Jesus says in Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Paul also tell us in Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I wonder... can we name the volunteers at our local “Meals on Wheels”, the nurses at the ER and the Nursing home or the volunteers in those places as well, The hospice volunteers, etc. There are people going essential work in the community, saving lives, protecting us from evil, doing the behind the scenes work that the people up front are dependent on, people who never get recognized, and chances are they are people who don’t want to be recognized. These are the true superheros.
Recent, I’ve spoken to a few Christians who take a different approach to this. They are folk who do a lot of good but out of their mouths I’ve heard things such as “no one who does what I do”, or “I work alone” or that they “don’t work well with others”. I take issue with that. Again, for every one person going great work there are a good deal more behind the scenes who will never get recognized. Currently, I know personally people who are going into dangerous places to rescue people from evil. They go in with no protection, no militias, no power but that of the Lord, and they are effective. The likes of Destiny Rescue, Rev. Andrew White and his congregation in Baghdad, Christian Solidarity International (working in Sudan to rescue children and adults sold into slavery. 35000 to date), Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and many others. I know people who work in the midst of horrible diseases risking their own lives to take care of others. I know people who work sharing the Gospel, providing medical help, and rescuing children in countries where their very presence they risk being sentenced to death. Each is a part of the body of Christ working TOGETHER for the “common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).
I am reminded of one superhero in particular (Kind of a Superhero). The lone ranger. The lone ranger was, in fact, completely ineffective without his sidekick Tonto (actually the green lantern is similar). Yet, the lone ranger and the green lantern always made themselves out to be the LONE hero, yet without help they would fall flat. No believer in Jesus Christ doing the work of Christ should ever say “I don’t work well with others”. 1 Corinthians 12 is a command away from the “lone ranger” attitude. If we attempt to work alone we will eventually fall as we will work without being connected to the body, not only this but if we work alone we risk damaging the other parts of the body as well. For instance if we are an arm and decide we can work alone, we not only risk cutting ourselves off from the body but also the hand and the fingers as well.
We as believers must move in solidarity with the body of Christ especially with those who are doing the work of “Masked Superheros”. There are many, in our community and around the world. These are the folks who are doing the work for the sake of the work that needs to be done and for the glory of God and the salvation of his children. Stand with them, be a masked superhero yourself, go out and do what needs to be done and do it knowing that you are not the only one, but by walking along side the many unsung heroes who make up the Church.