Thought for Today
Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.
Isaiah 3:1 For now the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and staff-- all support of bread, and all support of water-- 2 warrior and soldier, judge and prophet, diviner and elder,
Luke 4:4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"
Luke 4:8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
Last night there was nothing I wanted to watch on any of the network channels. I opened one of the streaming services available through our internet service provider’s package and scrolled through the service’s suggestions. As I did so, I was struck by how many superhero movies and series were available. This morning, I am thinking about superheroes. Who are your heroes? Do you have any superheroes?
I missed out on (?) all of the superhero graphic novels. When I was young, kids read comic books and watched cartoons. There were Superman and Batman comics; but, my taste ran to Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Silverster and Tweety, and especially Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Superman and Batman were a bit too dark and violent for my young taste.
In my youth, my heroes and superheroes were primarily Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger. Of course, I did grow up in Texas. Maybe young boys in other parts of our country had other superheroes. In Texas there were those heroes who had attained almost mythic proportions, General Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie. In Texas, there were schools, streets and even towns named for the heroes of the Alamo and San Jacinto.
I was born during WWII, so in my youth there were heroes from that war. Many of us proudly wore “I Like Ike” buttons when Eisenhower ran for president. Audie Murphy, the most decorated combat soldier from that war was also a Texan whose name was familiar to us all.
I’m not sure when the current array of superheroes first emerged. I have seen a few of the movies about them, Spiderman, several of the X-Men movies, mostly in the company of our grandchildren. I know there are Marvel superheroes and DC superheroes; but, I am generally clueless about who most of them are. I did inadvertently stumble upon one of those superhero movies last night, but chose instead to rewatch a gangster movie.
Do you remember reading any of the hero stories in the Bible as a youth? I recall being fascinated by David, especially the battle with Goliath. I remember Sampson, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Young boys are especially fond of stories about underdogs, fighting lions, and walking unscathed through furnaces. Who are your heroes? Do you have any superheroes?
In seminary, I learned about heroes like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, Jan Hus and others. Men of deep faith and love. Men who challenged common beliefs and authority. Men who reformed Christianity and initiated the Protestant movement. I also studied under professors who have become modern day heroes for me. Men and women who inspired me, mentored me and set me on the road to where I am today.
Who are the real heroes in our world? Who are the real superheroes? I’m sure watching all of the superhero movies or reading the graphic novels about people with superpowers can be entertaining. For me, the stories during the pandemic about first responders and others who toiled long hours, putting themselves in harm’s way are the real heroes and superheroes in our world. All of the doctors, researchers and healthcare providers were real heroes and superheroes. The countless volunteers who battled, and who continue to battle food and housing insecurity are real heroes and superheroes. All of those in society who strive diligently to improve the lives of others, all of those whose only superpower is love are the real heroes and superheroes. They model their lives after and reflect the ultimate superpower of the Trinity.
Stay safe, thank one of those superheroes today, trust God,
Pastor Ray