I Can Be Your Hero Baby...

I watched "Iron Man" last weekend. It was fantastic. Seriously, it was sweet. I love superhero movies, I always have. I'm sure that my emotions on the superhero genre as a whole are felt by many people worldwide. Why wouldn't want to save the day, get the girl, and fly off into the sunset? But it made me stop and think about something that is bothering me. Why superheroes, and not God? Let me explain; my cousin plays Little League Baseball, and I am sit in the dugout, keep the score, and try to control those who aren't in the game. I overheard a conversation last week that made me chuckle..."Spiderman is by far the best ever." "No, Batman would beat up Spiderman." "Superman could beat 'em all up!" You get the picture. What 7-10 year old boy has not had this conversation? It's a rite of passage, to discuss one's favorite superhero. And it's not just kids...I'm in my twenties, and I still leave the theater with thoughts of flying, stopping bullets, wearing a costume, the beautiful girl I save, etc. etc. Why do I get so giddy about "The Dark Knight" this summer, but feel only a twinge of excitement (if even that) when I read Scripture, watch a religious movie, or even pray? What is it about superheroes that are so appealing?

This is a question that the Church has asked, I'm sure. In fact, to research for this post, I googled "Superheroes and God", and I was blown away with the links to evangelical posts comparing God to a superhero. Is God really a superhero? Is that an accurate portrayal? Can we even begin to try to connect dots that may not be there? Hollywood is banking on the fact that at least some will. "Prince Caspian," the second Chronicles of Narnia film is set to open soon in a theater near you, and God's awesome power will be on display in the form of a lion who is a force to be reckoned with. I love C.S. Lewis and even the Narnia movies, but I also realize that we are selling God without overtly stating it, dressing Him up in a cape, and showing Him overcoming His arch-enemies in a superhero-like fashion. Yes, Aslan (the lion) had to die, the Passion depiction that keeps this series a Christian one, but is this the only apparent Christian tie that Disney will keep? That question alone will be enough for me to buy a ticket to find out.

I do have one question that keeps nagging me, is God really a superhero? Pastors and churches can paint the connections, but are they accurate? I find it troubling that instead of pointing out man's desire to do the things that God has done in Scripture (walk on water, defeat death, heal, prophecy, etc.) and display these desires in "superheroes" that defy gravity, science, logic, whatever, we instead find ourselves trying to draw connections between false characters in a children's comic book and that of the living God that is active today. It's as if we have lost so much personal connection with God that the only way we can relate to our Creator is to draw up images and actions of comic-book superheroes and connect them to how God is. This can become dangerous though. First off, God is real. Superman is not. If we make God a Superman figure, we find ourselves stating first-off that God is more fictionalized, as though His traits are really just the brilliant creation of Stan Lee. Second, super-heroes are, for the most part, human first. Some genetic change, traumatic experience, etc. has altered the human to give him or her new abilites, thus making a super-human of sorts. God was God first, then became man. This is a huge distinction. The Incarnation is central to many theological viewpoints. Lastly, super-heroes struggle to have social standing beyond that of their super-heroic actions and deeds. They are commonly lonely, confused, or just plain dorky as humans. God does not display this problem, although many people have a problem connecting with God, and thus believe that its God's fault, not thier own.

Don't get me wrong. I like super-heroes. I like the Chronicles of Narnia. I even like Bibleman (Ha Ha! sorry, I tried, but Bibleman is terrible..). But I struggle with the Church's struggle to "make" God relevant, rather than acknowledge that God is relevant, although it takes a more in-depth analysis of Scripture, theological ideals, and history. We can't sit back and let Hollywood display God, although we can reference such a display to add to truths that should already be preached and taught in the churches. God is more than a movie, music video, or even superhero. What do you think?