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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
A Real Super Hero
December 6, 2007
Last summer I wrote a column about the heroes of our faith and shortly
afterwards received a copy of Rabbi Simcha Weinstein's book, Up, Up and
Oy Vey. It is an interesting and enjoyable read that talks about the stories
behind some of the most popular comic book characters. Rabbi Simcha
notes that many of the comic book icons were shaped by the religious
history, culture and values of the writers, who were predominantly Jewish.
For example, Jerry Siegal and Joe Schuster, the creators of Superman and
Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, were deeply influenced by the
persecution of European Jews and the fact that no one was willing to
come to their rescue. So they developed powerful characters who were
dedicated to protecting the innocent and conquering evil.
I grew up a fan of Batman and Superman and learned to read by devouring
the pages of my favorite comic books. Every week I would ride my
bicycle down to Ray's Pharmacy or Alpert's Market in Colchester to pick
up the latest issue. My childhood was less than idyllic and these
superheroes gave me hope that everything would turn out all right.
As a matter of fact, one Sunday in my senior year of high school I
preached a sermonette that likened Jesus to Superman. You see, I saw
Superman as a heroic figure who came from another galaxy to save the
world. The parallel to Jesus coming from heaven to earth was very clear
to me. Unlike Superman, Jesus was a historic figure. The early Christians
believed he was the long awaited messiah coming to save people from
disaster and destruction. I preached that he could do the same for us, here
and now.
I knew this from personal experience. My mom was destroying herself
with alcohol. She was heading down a path that had already destroyed
every important thing in her life. Then one day a friend invited her to go to
church. It was the middle of Lent. Easter was coming. That day in church
she got down on her knees and asked Jesus to come into her heart.
Now I wish I could tell you that everything turned out beautifully after
that. The truth is that she died in a freak accident not more than a week
later. A few days after Easter we learned about her death. At the same time
we learned of her conversion. It dawned on me then that because of
Christ, although she had died, she was now saved to live forever. Jesus
did what Superman or Spiderman could not do. He saved her.
The good news is that the story of Christmas is not fiction. It is not
something dreamed up to make us feel better. It is the story of our savior
coming to earth to bring grace, hope and the love of God. So prepare your
hearts. Make room around your trees. Let heaven and earth sing of the
birth of our redeemer. Be blessed and believe.
God bless! See you in church. Cal
December 6, 2007
Last summer I wrote a column about the heroes of our faith and shortly
afterwards received a copy of Rabbi Simcha Weinstein's book, Up, Up and
Oy Vey. It is an interesting and enjoyable read that talks about the stories
behind some of the most popular comic book characters. Rabbi Simcha
notes that many of the comic book icons were shaped by the religious
history, culture and values of the writers, who were predominantly Jewish.
For example, Jerry Siegal and Joe Schuster, the creators of Superman and
Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, were deeply influenced by the
persecution of European Jews and the fact that no one was willing to
come to their rescue. So they developed powerful characters who were
dedicated to protecting the innocent and conquering evil.
I grew up a fan of Batman and Superman and learned to read by devouring
the pages of my favorite comic books. Every week I would ride my
bicycle down to Ray's Pharmacy or Alpert's Market in Colchester to pick
up the latest issue. My childhood was less than idyllic and these
superheroes gave me hope that everything would turn out all right.
As a matter of fact, one Sunday in my senior year of high school I
preached a sermonette that likened Jesus to Superman. You see, I saw
Superman as a heroic figure who came from another galaxy to save the
world. The parallel to Jesus coming from heaven to earth was very clear
to me. Unlike Superman, Jesus was a historic figure. The early Christians
believed he was the long awaited messiah coming to save people from
disaster and destruction. I preached that he could do the same for us, here
and now.
I knew this from personal experience. My mom was destroying herself
with alcohol. She was heading down a path that had already destroyed
every important thing in her life. Then one day a friend invited her to go to
church. It was the middle of Lent. Easter was coming. That day in church
she got down on her knees and asked Jesus to come into her heart.
Now I wish I could tell you that everything turned out beautifully after
that. The truth is that she died in a freak accident not more than a week
later. A few days after Easter we learned about her death. At the same time
we learned of her conversion. It dawned on me then that because of
Christ, although she had died, she was now saved to live forever. Jesus
did what Superman or Spiderman could not do. He saved her.
The good news is that the story of Christmas is not fiction. It is not
something dreamed up to make us feel better. It is the story of our savior
coming to earth to bring grace, hope and the love of God. So prepare your
hearts. Make room around your trees. Let heaven and earth sing of the
birth of our redeemer. Be blessed and believe.
God bless! See you in church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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