No More Heroes?

It used to be that heroes were straightforward people who liked being heroes, always wanted to do what was right, and never wavered in their resolve. Bad guys were genuinely evil and didn't have a decent bone in their bodies. Everything was clear-cut, black-and-white, no one needed to wonder how things were going to turn out, why the good guy was good or why the bad guy was bad. You hated the guy in black and cheered for the guy in white.

Wow, were we naive. Life is never that simple, people are never that simple. Which is why I think modern culture is seeing those stereotypical 'heroes' vanish. They weren't real, so they couldn't last. We are also seeing the stereotypical 'bad guy' vanish, because no one is evil just because.

Take Megamind as an example. A computer animated movie from Dreamworks, Megamind stars out looking a lot like Superman. But the protagonist isn't the Superman character, called Metro Man, but rather his nemesis, also an alien, called
Megamind.

The reason Megamind is a 'bad guy' is clear from the beginning. He landed in a prison and grew up there, everyone always expected the worst from him, so that's what he became. Metro Man grew up in a happy family and everyone expected the best of him so that's what he became. Eventually, Metro Man just leaves Megamind to run amok (pretty villainous behavior if you ask me), Megamind becomes the hero and a seemingly harmless nerd becomes the villain. All Megamind really wanted was some attention, someone to play with, someone to care about him.

Modern superhero movies show a similar trend. In Spiderman 2, the villain is possessed by mechanical arms, but the person remains good and sacrifices himself at the end. In the TV show Smallville, Clark Kent has to explore his dark side and Lex Luthor is always fighting the good side of himself which his Father systematically works to squash.

We don't want the hero to have it easy, and we don't want him to be perfect. We don't want the bad guy to be rotten to the core, because we can all sympathize with how he feels sometimes and we need to know that redemption is possible. The new Star Wars Trilogy was all about how a good guy turns bad because of good motives. Black and white are still clear, but people are actually gray and have to fight themselves to remain on one side or the other.

Many people say they don't beleive in Christianity because Christians don't act very nice. They are people who fail, fall, stumble, and trip up. They want everyone else to be perfect, but they themselves aren't. So people see the bad example and turn away from the whole idea of Jesus. They know we can't be perfect, and since Christians claim to be, or seem to claim to be, they shut us out.

But the Disciples and early Christians were just the same. They didn't get it, they messed up, they made mistakes and got into shouting matches (Peter and Paul). Yet we still follow their example, learn from their lives, lift them up to be admired as the greatest of the faithful. Why? Because we know they are human, they are like us.

We need to look beyond Megamind's horrible schemes and see the vulnerable blue alien beneath. We need to understand what led the 'bad guys' down their destructive roads. We need to see what people need, what we are denying them in the way of love, companionship, compassion and encouragement. We need to understand that everyone is gray, and not condemn them because they can't seem to stay on the right side. I think in this instance we can learn from modern movies, which are usually so full of trash. This time, the world outside the church has caught hold of a truth that we need to learn from and apply in our own lives.

There are no heroes. There are no villains. There are only people who struggle, struggle, struggle against the forces pushing and pulling them one way or the other. I am not perfect, and neither is anyone else. That's why I need Jesus and his example, and the Disciples and their example. We need to acknowledge the darkness in all of us, and the need in all of us, before we can begin to fix things and make the world right again.

Spring and Today

Why does spring always taunt me? I am ready for warmth, aching for sun, longing to run around barefoot in my short sleeves. So we get up to the fifties, we tickle the underbelly of the sixties. And the next morning we're back in the twenties.

Spring loves to taunt us, especially those of us who live in the Midwest. Here where, if you don't like the weather just wait a day because it'll change, we learn not expect too much. We learn that the sunshine today means nothing for tomorrow. I call time and temp every morning because I have no idea what the day will actually be like. You can't predict it.

Life is the same way. Things are going well, and we somehow get to expecting that they will stay that way. When a good thing comes alone, we want it to remain. We don't want more trials, more hardships, late paychecks or overdue bills.

Life is like the weather, fickle and changing. Don't like how things are going? Just wait til tomorrow. It'll change. It always does.

Yet at the same time, tomorrow never really comes. We are always stuck in today.

The sun will come out tomorrow.
At least that's what they say.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow.
There is now tomorrow.
So find your joy today.

We spend so much time moaning about today that we forget to enjoy it. We spend so much time waiting for tomorrow that when it comes, we hardly notice. We cannot simply inhabit the moment, good or bad, and be ok. We look back to better times, we look forward to better times, but when the good times are here we hardly stop to smell the fresh spring flowers.

I saw crocuses yesterday, little yellow and purple petals opened up like miniature suns in the green, green grass. I stopped. I leaned my nose down to the ground. I smelled deeply of fresh earth and sweet flowers. I ran my finger along the petals. I enjoyed the moment.

Don't always be looking forward for what is to come. Look at what is around you right now. Paul said that he had learned to be content in any situation. When he was hungry, tired, beat-up, rejected and reviled, he had learned to be ok. When he was warm, well-fed and with friends, he had learned to be ok. He learned to enjoy the moment and be content wherever he was because he was with God and doing God's will.

We can't ignore tomorrow, and we shouldn't stop anticipating better days. God wants us to hope, to expect the time when good will win out and all will be right with the world again. But we can't forget that we live today, whether it is spring or winter, whether the flowers are blooming or the sky is gray and the ice is cold. There is beauty in the crocuses and there is beauty in the clouds.

The author of this hymn understood this, even as he mourned the death of his daughters.

"When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, God has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul."

Find your peace here and now. Feel the love of God wrap around you whether you are in the middle of a celebration or a tragedy. God is here, so today I am ok.

Beauty and Confidence

I hate make-up commercials. They are selling far more than colored chemicals and creams to put on your face. They are selling a way of life, a way of thinking that makes you think you need these things. That you deserve them, because somehow this make-up, this hair dye, this line-minimizer will make you better.

Not just make you look better. No, it will make you better.

Because somehow, we began to equate beauty with confidence. Somewhere down the road we decided that people who don't look pretty, aren't neat and tidy, have too many wrinkles and not the right lipstick, aren't worth listening to. But the people who can put together a nice outfit, who can affored the face creams and cover-ups, are worth more.

Why? Because they spend time and money on cosmetics?

Some commercials say, 'You're worth it' others say, "Regain your confidence," they all say, 'you have to be pretty to be worthwhile.' Before you can do a good job, act right, be respected, you have to look good.

Why do looks and confidence go hand in hand? Why do women feel better after they have put their make up on? What is it about a new outfit that makes you stand taller, walk prouder? The clothes and cosmetics don't change who you are. Yet for some reason we let them rule our attitudes. We let them determine how we act.

We get a spot on our shirt and we shrink our shoulders all day to hide it. We get a zit and we hide it under cream and check every mirror to make sure it stays hidden. We get a rip in our cloths and we do a cover-up dance to make sure no one can see the hole.

So I was a bit clumsy and spilled the ketchup. I snagged my cuff on the car door and oopps, there's a rip. My face isn't perfectly clear. Why can't we just admit our blemishes, why can't we be comfortable in our own skin?

We all need to take a step back, to pause and think. Am I putting too much effort into my appearance? Do I draw my confidence and self-worth from my clothes and cosmetics? Where else does it come from? What else do I have to offer besides a pretty face and co-ordinated outfit? Draw on your strengths, your real strengths, not the ones you purchase.

Because your worth has nothing to do with how you look. You worth has everything to do with who you are and what you do. We are surrounded by lies every single day. We have to take a step back and remember to plug our ears.

You are beautiful without makeup, without fancy clothes, without hair gel or dye. Be yourself. God gave you gray hairs and wrinkles, zits and moles. Wear them with pride.

Communion Sacrifice

One of the things that was a Big Deal during the Reformation (when a bunch of people finally got fed up with the Catholic church and started branching off) was Communion. Every church seems to have a slightly different take on this ceremony. No one can quite agree on the meaning of the ritual that every Christian group practices in one form or another.

Transubstantiation is the big long word that means the bread and the wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus. They go through this mystical change. Yeah, I thought it sounded really weird, but apparently it’s been a big idea in the Catholic church for over a thousand years. To take communion is to participate in Jesus’ sacrifice, to offer Jesus’ sacrifice again. You actually get spiritual nourishment direct from God just by taking communion.

Then there are the churches that say communion is a symbol. We sit and remember what Jesus did and we do this every week so that we keep it fresh in our minds. The bread and wine are reminders of the body and blood, to help us meditate better. We show that we are good Christians by going through the motions that Jesus laid out.

The Lutherans take the middle road with another big long word, consubstantiation. It means that the bread and wine don’t actually change, but Jesus is present in them. He reaches out to touch us when we take communion. Like, when the bread and wine pass over our lips, your getting a kiss from God. You’re remembering what Jesus did and he’s touching you the same way he touched his disciples.

Transubstantiation seems a little redundant. After all, Jesus died once for all, so there’s no need to re-offer the sacrifice. I don’t think God ever meant us to be dependent on ritual bread and wine for spiritual nourishment, we’re depended on the Spirit, not objects that mystically change. But the symbol route seems a little empty. We go through the motions, we remember, but there is no sense of connecting to God, or each other. I think consubstantiation is neat, but I’m not sure what Jesus really intended. Too bad he didn’t write up a nice neat catechism to explain it all.

As much as I reject the idea of transubstantiation and offering up Jesus’ sacrifice again, I think the Catholics are on to something with the idea of sacrifice in communion. We participate in Jesus’ sacrifice every time we take communion. I think this is what Paul was on about when he said ‘examine yourself’ before you partake.

Jesus gave up everything. His sacrifice wasn’t just to die, but to give up his life in every aspect. He didn’t do anything for himself, he did everything for God. When we die to ourselves and rise with Jesus, we must do the same thing. We must make the same sacrifice, and in communion we reinforce that sacrifice. We, as the body of Jesus, participate in his death on a spiritual level.

Our communion sacrifice is this. Search your heart, search your mind. What are you holding back from God? What have you kept for yourself, kept from bending to his will? What are you keeping of this world, of sinful desires that you need to put to death? When you drink the cup, you need to commit to change that. When you eat the bread, you need to let go of your desires and let God in. You can’t partake of Jesus, the Holy Spirit can’t enter your life and change you, until you give up everything else.

Being a Christian is a process of growth. Jesus offered the sacrifice once for all, to make things right between God and man. But we need a constant reminder, a constant re-examination until Jesus returns and purges the world of everything that can corrupt us. So the next time you take communion, remember that it is still about sacrifice. Join Jesus’ sacrifice. Give up everything you were so can become everything he wants you to be.

Presence

My cat is a picky creature. She has a particular brand of cat food and won’t eat anything else. She is just as choosy about her treats. The little orange fur ball knows exactly when she wants to be petted, or brushed, and how. Sometimes, you have to brush her while she is on the floor. Sometimes, she wants to be held, but you can’t sit down in a chair and put her on your lap. No, you have to stand up and hold her like a baby on your shoulder. Such is the life of a cat owner, a slave to the feline’s whim.

Every cat I’ve met has a similar finicky nature. They are particular creatures. Sometimes, it seems the oddest thing they do is simply sit in the same room. They don’t want to be touched, held or petted. They don’t want attention of any sort. They might stare at you, or completely ignore you. But if you get up and go into a different room of the house, they will follow. Not because they want food or attention, but because they want to be in your presence.

Presence is such an important thing for all creatures. There are usually two animals in a cage at a zoo, because zookeepers know the animals need company. Babies can’t talk or interact with adults, but they will cry and cry not for food or a wet diaper but just to be held. I cannot sleep in an empty house. Even if I can’t see or hear the other person, the building feels different simply because I know someone is there.

Presence. No man is an island. We cannot survive in complete isolation. The simply fact that other people are there around us, with us, near us, contributes significantly to our emotional well-being. It’s why we pursue relationships, sometimes even destructive and unhealthy ones. We crave presence, we do not want to be all alone.

In some ways, the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God ever gave us. The Spirit is presence. Even if you are not praying, seeking, reading your Bible or being moved to act at the moment, the Spirit of God is with you. His presence is inside of you. You are not alone.

When I am sad, I don’t want to talk. When I am mad, I don’t want you to fix the problem. I simply need someone to be there, to be with me, to touch my shoulder or hold my hand and know that I am not alone. Personally, I’m not a super cuddly person. But sometimes even I still just want to feel two arms wrapped around me, or the steady rhythm of a heartbeat when my ear is pressed up against a loved one’s chest.

Presence. There is other life in this world besides me. There are other needs in this world besides me. There are people to help me. There are people who need me. Presence.

Knowing that the Holy Spirit is here with me is the ultimate hug. Feeling the warm lump in my chest is like a tender hand squeezing my shoulder. God is present in me. There is life outside of this world. There is someone hugely powerful paying attention to me. There is someone amazing who wants to be near me.

Presence is a powerful force. To ‘be there’ for someone is probably the most important thing you can do in a relationship. Whether you do something that feels useful or simply make yourself available for some companionship time, presence is important.

I love God. He made this world with all its beautiful wonders, he made me and my family and all of the crazy, zany people I live and work with ever day. I love Jesus, he came to earth to be with us and to teach us. He broke down the barriers we had put up between ourselves and between God, he gave up everything including his life.

But it is the Holy Spirit that truly moves me, truly shapes me, truly helps me to know in the depths of my heart that God is Good and Jesus is Lord. It is because the Holy Spirit is presence, the thing that I need the most to see me through the daily grind. The thing I can lean on and depend on from day to day. The Spirit has been called an Advocate, Counselor, Helper and lots of other things. But I call it Presence, my slice of heaven now, my connection to everything and everyone that is important.

“Be still and know that I am God” is the line of a song calling us to simply be with God. To set aside all problems and complaints and praises and joy. To simply be in the presence of the Lord, like my cat likes to be in the same room with me. I want to challenge you to take a day and not pray. Don’t ask for anything. Don’t thank God for anything. Make no demands, forget language completely. Clear your head and simply enjoy HIS Presence. It’s the closest you’ll get to heaven while you still breathe. So breathe in the Spirit, and know that you are never alone.