Using Faith as the Answer to Our Problems

Well, now for those of you that voted for Dub in the 2004 Presidential Elections, you're realizing now that he's not quite the Superhero we remember in 2001. You remember that little thing with September 11th and the Twin Towers? When Dub's approval ratings shot through the roof like a firecracker gone awry and we were left with this warm, by the fireplace isolated mental image of him standing in the rubble with fellow NYFD workers talking passionately about catching those responsible? Fast forward to present date, the War in Iraq (not the war in Afghanistan where the one responsible for 9-11 is sipping Pina Coladas), twenty year old soldiers dying for a cause that was misleading from day one. Some SuperHero, huh? What steps have we made toward making progress with a new leader? Impeachment? Nope. Have Dubya, the cowboy with the Texas swagger, and Saddam, the out of town bad boy and an expert with a gun, dual it out on the open streets of Baghdad like a classic Old Western? No again. But we got the next best thing! America has relied on Hollywood and DC Comics to unveil a series of Superhero movies to ensure order and to make us feel protected in the battle of good vs. evil. (Cue the crickets…)

You know I'm right. And by the way, I'll steal this right off a bumpersticker and simply say "Don't blame me. I voted for Kerry." But sticking to the point, it makes me ponder why our culture is so obsessed with the idea of a Superhero? I think it is partly because there is so little pure love and good in this world due to ongoing greed, corruption, and anything else that blinds us of what's really important. Those in power with the abilities to actually take the first baby step toward making a difference and start change choose instead to fill their own wallets and upgrade the bathrooms on their private jets to all 24 carrot gold fixtures. So we are reduced to artist's renderings of cape wearing crime fighters and filling up entire comic books with those we envision as an all knowing, tights wearing Policemen of the Good, Robin Hood-for-the-people characters. Your typical Protagonist. Why do we spend billions of dollars going to the movies to see this garbage? It's simple…

Because we believe in the good of other human beings. We believe others, not ourselves, will make the difference. More specifically, ones that are powerful and are here to protect us from the monsters of the Earth whom we can't fight on our own, such as Saddam Hussein or in fantasy world, Godzilla. We, as ignorant creatures of this world, rely on others to defend our helplessness and mortality.

Why put this burden on others to fight the battle of good versus evil when we've got the ultimate weapon? Faith. The one thing that is impenetrable, a Kryptonite anti-dote, and something any amount of evil can't take away from us.

The most unfortunate part of this blog is the fact that eighty percent of the people that have read this up until this point have had thoughts of Batman, Superman, The Hulk, and the latest scenes from the X-Men blockbuster. They haven't even identified our truest superhero: Jesus Christ.

No shocker here. Before I merge into this topic of conversation I've got to put on the brakes and give credit to Reverend Francis Daniel for giving this sermon at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Wilmington this summer. He began the sermon by briefly shedding light on this unique comparison so I simply wanted to extend upon it and "Ben" it up a little.

Now for those who know me, this is a different type of topic for me. And that's an unfortunate thing. Most people know me as a very sarcastic guy with a witty sense of humor and enough rare sincere moments to count on one hand. Let me assure you that's only the scratching the surface. I have strong beliefs, as strong as any person. But after recently reading a recent article I was inspired to get this off my chest and spread my beliefs like a wildfire.

With that out of the way, let's continue…We have been driven by fear. It's a constant reminder, this fear and consumption state, on the evening news with new reports of casualties in the war on Iraq or threats to our Airlines system. Here's the formula for fear and consumption:

Chain/Reaction.

Chain=News reports of more crime, more terrorist acts, air born viruses, gas and oil prices on the rise.

Reaction=Mass consumption by buying guns and weapons to arm ourselves, drugs and prescriptions to fight disease, filling up our tanks before prices hit all time highs.

Our society fears boarding planes b/c of possible hijackings and terrorist acts, but in this event we are questioning the path He has intended for us instead of choosing to put our faith in Him. He is the ultimate Superhero, the Architect of all plans. As modern American civilization has fallen away from traditional religion, it upsets me that most of society, particularly young America, is more entertained by the workings of the Incredible Hulk or The Fantastic Four than the miracles provided by the Lord. Those whose faith wavers have trouble putting their hopes and faith into something/someone that cannot be seen, touched or tested like some CSI laboratory science project, however, they'll shell out $8.00 in a heartbeat for two hours at the movies to "believe in good" as Wolverine stops some evil drug lord from tampering with the city's water supply or something silly. But even in the movies themselves, when Lois is saying, "Help us, Superman!" is she not praying in the most essential sense of the word?

In a comic book world, there are necessary characters and necessary plots needed to tell a story and somehow elicit meaning. There is the Antagonist, thorn in the Superhero's side. He presents some obstacle, something that must be overcome to better those around the Superhero. The Protagonist, or Superhero as I call it, is there for the betterment of society. He sacrifices himself and his well being in order to prevent harm or teach a lesson that is beneficial. Sound like a certain person in the Bible that you have heard of? In the addition to Superheroes there are anti-heroes, not bad guys but rather flawed good guys. They are mortal beings that fight for the good of humanity and typically this type of hero is the one most people can identify with. In the real world our anti-heroes walk the streets everyday in police uniforms and fire suits protecting us from harm, most of the time endangering themselves. So now that I think about it, is comic book life that much different from real life?

The way I see it is Faith is our ultimate weapon, and He is the ultimate Protagonist, leading the charge through life with no fear and only blessings before us. Death is inevitable, however, whether or not we will fight our way to the gates of His Kingdom depends entirely upon whether we choose to use the weapons/tools he has given us. We need not rely on the Bat Signal in the sky, or Superman's train-like speed to save the day when obstacles/death lies before us. Simply pray and believe.

Case and much needed point: Does the name Cassie Bernall ring a bell? Probably not. I'm sure her story was merely overlooked on the news by reports of Anthrax or some air born disease. Cassie Bernall was a student at Columbine High School when it was attacked by the TrenchCoast Mafia. In April of 1999, Cassie was in the library of Columbine High School when her hiding spot was found out and ultimately she was confronted by one of the gunmen, Dylan Klebold. With a gun pointed to her face and a bullet in the chamber, he asked her whether she believed in God. She answered yes. The gun sounded, the result being her death and an honorable mention in the newspaper. But a modern day Martyr was born. I want you to stop reading this and think about that for a moment. She had a choice: Life and denounce her beliefs or Accept her death and embrace the Lord's welcome? She chose wisely. She was saved.

And she didn't need Spiderman to swoop in after all…