Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. Shuri, in showing mercy to Namor as we saw previously, follows her mother's words from beyond this world. She also comes back to her identity as a peacemaker. Yet Shuri goes a little further. She tells Namor that if he yields not only will their war end, but Wakanda also will help protect the oceans and keep the secret of his people's existence safe. After everything Namor has done to Wakanda and her family, Shuri owes him nothing. She chooses instead to reach out with kindness though. In this way, Shuri lives into the same lessons our Lord teaches us. We are called to forgive and love our enemies. Shuri has done that here. In doing so, Shuri is also showing strength. This gets at the full message Jesus teaches in telling us to "turn the other cheek." Jesus' words aren't meant to be a sign of submission. In Jesus' day, when one hit someone who was a slave or deemed in anyway inferior, they would be struck with the backside of the dominant hand. By turning one's cheek, you are forcing the other to recognize you as a person with full humanity, even if they choose to strike you again. Shuri does force Namor to yield, which might impact his pride. He now knows Shuri can beat him handily in a fight and knows his weakness. Yet in doing so, she extends what he has really been looking for: safety for his people. Shuri's actions have huge implications for how we act out our Faith and how the world looks at diplomacy. How would it be if the nations of the world were willing to show mercy and lay down their arms instead of seeking the outright destruction their enemies every time? After all, this is what the Prophet Isaiah calls on us to do. Shuri's actions are powerful and give us a great deal to think about, on a personal and global level.
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Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. Though Shuri has been a peacemaker in the past, the death of her mother, Queen Ramonda, led her to be consumed by vengeance. We see this in her final battle with Namor as she takes advantage of his weakness by dehydrating him. As she gets ready to deliver the final blow, images of the past, both hers and Namor's, flash before us. The final image is Ramonda in the Ancestral Plane saying to Shuri, Show him who you are. This is a powerful image, and is really what Shuri had been seeking, whether she knew it or not, in her journey to the Ancestral Plane when she took the Heart-shaped Herb before. From beyond, Ramonda gives Shuri the truth she needs at the moment it can do the most good. A similar, though better, version of these words for us as followers of the Way might be, Show them whose you are. The word "Christian" was originally used as a slur against those who follow our Faith, yet we took it on as our name. It designates us as those who belong to Christ Jesus and follow Him. Through our Lord's Resurrection, we are transformed and called to a better life in Jesus' Name. When we remember this, we can move beyond our need for vengeance and live into the Forgiveness Jesus offers us. When we remember we belong to Jesus, we can move from hate to Love. The same is true for Shuri. Listening to her mother's words, the words of someone who died so that she and Riri Williams might live, brings Shuri back to her peacemaking ways. It is in this moment she is ready to show mercy where before she was seeking vengeance. Hopefully like Shuri we can listen to those who have walked the Way before us and show others whose we are. In this way we can others know what it means to follow our Lord Jesus Christ. Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. When Okoye fails to keep Shuri safe from Namor and the Talokans, Queen Ramonda removes her as general of the Dora Milaje. Ramonda's decision comes despite Okoye's many years of service to Wakanda and her time working with the Avengers as a representative of Wakanda. In many ways, this is revenge for Okoye initially siding with Killmonger, even though she backed T'Challa, Ramonda's son, in the end. For a bit, Okoye feels lost and purposeless. She helps where she can as Namor attacks Wakanda herself. Then Shuri gives her a new task. Shuri asks Okoye to help lead a new unit with new armor: the Midnight Angels (interestingly enough, the Midnight Angels were a subset of the Dora Milaje in the comics). All of a sudden Okoye has purpose again. She can still serve Wakanda, even if it isn't as a Dora Milaje. Okoye isn't alone in trying to find new ways to serve as old ways are closed. We see this in Faith as well. Elijah even encounters a change in his own ministry as a prophet, following the threats he faced from Queen Jezebel and his encounter on Mount Horeb with God in 1 Kings 19. Elijah doesn't know if he can continue going on after his set back, and God gives him an out while still allowing him to serve. From then on, Elijah's focus was on raising up Elisha to follow him as a prophet to Israel. We all have times where how we are serving God changes. We all have times when we need to find new purpose. Fortunately God provides us the ways to continue to serve, even if that service looks different. That is what God did with Elijah, and what Shuri does with Okoye. Please note, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are rated PG-13. Major Spoilers Ahead! When Avengers: Infinity War came out, I remember talking with a friend afterward who we'll call Sarah. Sarah told me she immediately freaked out when Bucky got dusted in the end of the film, especially as he was her favorite character. I have to admit, when Bucky got dusted, I was still very confused. Almost immediately afterwards, though, my favorite character, T'Challa, got dusted. I think all I did was quietly say "No", and then I was basically done. For those who lost their favorite character in Infinity War, it was pretty devastating. Obviously not "my best friend just died" devastating, but it was "am I ever going to see this character in an MCU movie again?" devastating. Then Avengers: Endgame came out, and we got that amazing scene where all the dusted Avengers and other superheroes all gather together after the Avengers brought them back. This included Bucky, T'Challa, and many other fan favorites. There was an expectation that this was the direction the film would take, but it was still a comfort to see them back. That word "comfort" relates to one of the translations of paraklete in the Gospel according to John. This Paraclete, also translated as Advocate, Helper, Counselor, and Comforter, is what Jesus tells His Disciples He will send them, just shortly after He gives them the command to "Love one another" during His last Discourse with them before His death on the Cross. This Paraclete is highly implied to be the Holy Spirit that dwells with us all through our Baptism. Jesus also calls this "another" Paraclete, implying that He is the first such Advocate/Helper/Counselor/Comforter. That means Jesus directly comforts us too. We see this comfort from our Lord through His Resurrection. Like our favorite heroes in Infinity War, we thought Jesus was lost after He died. This was not so. Jesus came back into life, like our favorite heroes in Endgame. The only difference is Jesus did this on His own. The only difference is that Jesus' actions led not just to the world being saved, but to the salvation of each and every one of us in it. Jesus' return is a great comfort to us. Not only does it mean He has returned, it also means all of us have hope too. We have hope that when we get dusted in this world, we will return whole and remade in the world beyond this world where we will live with our Lord Jesus Christ forever in Love, Grace, and Hope. That is the great gift of comfort that Jesus brings to each and every one of us. This was the original plan for my Easter Vigil sermon. To read where that ended up, click here.
Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. Previously, we saw how Queen Ramonda gave her life to protect Riri Williams. Her sacrifice gives us a great example of the type of sacrifice Jesus offered for us. After our Lord’s Resurrection, He spoke with His Disciples who in turn went out into the world to share the Good News of the Grace Jesus offered through His death and rising again. In other words, Jesus’ sacrifice became an example for others moving forward. That is what we see with Riri Williams as well. She is impacted by Queen Ramonda’s sacrifice for her, even though she is not part of Ramonda’s family. She even tells Shuri, now made the new queen by her mother’s death, about how she feels: Your mother protected me, like I was one of her own. The least that I can do is to try and return the favor. It’s not that Riri wasn’t amazing before, but now she has more focus. Now she has the tools, focus, and desire to do more with her engineering skills than she ever has before. Riri takes the sacrifice Ramonda made for her seriously. She uses it as fuel to do better and be better. We are called to do the same with the Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He went through for our sake. Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. Queen Ramonda, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is very protective of her family. This is understandable as her husband T'Chaka and her son T'Challa have both died, and T'Challa, with Thanos' snap, technically died twice. Ramonda even makes some questionable decisions in trying to protect Shuri from Namor and the Talokanil, to the point of leading Wakanda to a war with Talokan. The conflict centers around Riri Williams, a young MIT student who found a way to track vibranium, a metal important to both nations. Namor is worried of being discovered by the outside world, though Riri never meant any harm. While Namor wants to destroy her, Wakanda hopes to protect her, at least allowing her to live a life behind their walls. As Namor tries to do everything to kill Riri, Ramonda does everything she can to protect her, to the point of sacrificing her own life. Ramonda's sacrifice should remind us of Jesus' for us for two reasons. First of all, Ramonda gives her own life so that Riri could live, just as Jesus did for us on the Cross. Second, Riri is not Wakandan. She's not one of Ramonda's people. She's not even part of Ramonda's family. Yet Ramonda values her life to sacrifice herself for Riri anyways. Jesus didn't just die to save His own people. Jesus died to save all of us. This is very apparent at the end of the Gospel according to Matthew when Jesus sends His Disciples to "make disciples of all nations." This kind of sacrifice leaves an impact and gives a great example. That is what led to the Christian Movement and Faith after Jesus' Death and Resurrection. We will see a similar impact on Riri Williams following Ramonda's gift to her in the future. While Ramonda, unlike Jesus, is not perfect, her love and sacrifice give us an example of Jesus' love and sacrifice for us. With our own love, we can be examples point back to Jesus too. Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. A lot occurs after Shuri's initial talks with Namor. Because of Nakia's actions saving Shuri and Riri, Namor declares war on Wakanda and kills Queen Ramonda. Shuri is now alone in her family, trying to process her grief. It is during this time that Shuri, using what she has gained from her time with the Talokanil, Namor's people, resumes her investigation into producing more of the Heart-Shaped Herb that provides the Black Panther's powers. She then goes through the ritual to become the next Black Panther herself. What Shuri encounters is unexpected and quite layered (see the lesson plan in the link below for more details). However, at its core it illustrates what Jesus says to Nicodemus in John, namely that: Those who believe in [the Son] are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. From the beginning, we've seen that Shuri has a hard time believing. When she finds herself in the Ancestral Plane, Killmonger even mocks her for her unbelief. Shuri's lack of belief is what is causing her problems in this moment. Because she does not believe, she also does not know the way. This leads her down the wrong path. Instead of coming to the part of the Ancestral Plane where her brother and the other past Panthers are, she ends up in a place that looks like the Palace. This is what she expected the Ancestral Plane to look like, which is why she briefly mistakes Killmonger for her brother. Yet God often comes in forms we least expect. Instead of the palace of Solomon, God adorns us with the glory of the lilies, as Jesus tells us. So too, the place to be in the Ancestral Plane is in the open fields, not in the palace. The other problem for Shuri is she has come to the Ancestral Plane in the wrong way. She is no longer looking to be a Peacemaker, as she was before. Now she seeks power and vengeance on Namor for killing her mother. We are not called to take revenge. Instead, we are called to Love and Forgiveness. As Jesus also says in his talk with Nicodemus: God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, to the end all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus calls us to this same sort of love. We have to be careful the path we follow. We have to be careful in our belief, or even lack of it. Thankfully, as Jesus again says to Nicodemus, "God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." Jesus always offers us the chance to come to belief from unbelief. That is what happens with Paul in Acts. It happens with many of us at various points along our way. At the start of this journey with Shuri in the MCU, I said we wouldn't judge Shuri, and I stand by that now. This is a dark point in her pilgrimage, and one where we see some fear for where it might lead. In the end though, Shuri will stay true to who she has been. She will also learn more about the spiritual aspects of the world. When you find yourselves in times of darkness, I hope you will let the Lord be your everlasting light. I hope you too will embrace some of the more spiritual aspects of our world and in that way come closer in your return to God. Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. Previously, we saw how Shuri fills the role of peacemaker in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It is particularly important to see that role because Shuri, in many ways, contrasts with other leaders around her. Ramonda, Queen of Wakanda, who often shows great wisdom in spiritual matters, also has a tendency to focus on her family, even above Wakanda herself. Namor, the main antagonist of the film, focuses solely on his people to the detriment of all else. Shuri, on the other hand, sees that there are more important things to focus on. She understands Namor's concerns about Riri Williams and her vibranium detection machine. She offers to keep Riri sequestered in Wakanda. Namor worries about the risk. When Nakia on Ramona's orders comes to save Shuri and Riri, leading to the death of a Talokanil, one of Namor's people, Shuri immediately grows concerned, knowing this will lead to war. She is able to see the bigger picture, beyond herself and Riri even. Shuri, as a peacemaker, lives into one of the lessons Jesus taught us. In each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), we hear Jesus saying that His family isn't His flesh and blood, but those who "do the will of God." It is so easy for us to get wrapped up in our family or people. Obviously we should show those attached to us our love, yet part of that love is realizing there is something beyond us. Holding too close to our tribe can make us forget that our actions can have consequences for others. It can make us forget that there are young innocents, like Riri Williams, that need to be protected too. Shuri gives us a good example for how to live into Jesus' teachings. It's not that she doesn't struggle too, as we will see in the future, but she always comes out, in the end, on the side of peace for all, not just that of her family and people. Please note, Pokémon games are rated E. Professor Oak chastising his grandson for forgetting what really matters in the first set of Pokémon Games (here with the Yellow Version) The power of Love is at the center of the Gospel. We hear it most in the words of John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Since the first Pokémon games came out, the message of love has been at the heart of the games. Your victory at the end of the Red, Blue, and Yellow games comes, as Professor Oak tells you, because of your character's bond with your Pokémon. Oak's grandson, your rival, on the other hand, looses because he didn't have this same love and connection. The more recent Pokémon games have enhanced this sense, even adding a game mechanic of love that super-powers your Pokémon when they like you a lot. It's also been great to see the rivals become more of your friends and companions, as I have noted before. However, this did take out the edge of the main lesson in Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee. As in the original games, you face your friend/rival to become champion of the Elite Four at the end of the game. However, unlike in the original games, your rival isn't a jerk. In fact, he's so sweet and caring to the Pokémon around him. It's hard to imagine that he, like Oak's grandson, needs a lesson on treating his Pokémon better. When you do beat your friend/rival, Oak acknowledges this in a weird way. Oak basically tells your friend/rival that he's treated his Pokémon well, but that maybe his kindness towards them held him back in this final battle. At the same time, Oak acknowledges your character's bond with your Pokémon helped you win in the end. While it's nice to have a rival who is kind and a true friend, it is also sad that the original message of being kind and loving got nerfed a bit in the Let's Go games. At the same time, it is nice to see the trend of kindness and love extending in the Pokémon to more than just your own Pokémon. It helps remind us of the importance of love which we see in the Gospel too. Final scenes in Pokémon: Let's Go Eveee
Please note, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13. One of the defining characteristics of Shuri in Wakanda Forever is her willingness to talk and make peace with Namor's people in Talokan (Atlantis in the comics). She first shows this by being willing to sacrifice herself to protect Riri Williams, an MIT student Namor is hunting because she invented a vibranium detector. Shuri's willingness to talk fits her role as a scientist. It also matches many who have come before in Holy Scripture. The Israelites at various points had to make nice with other nations and even work with them. We see this in Joseph's serving under the Pharaoh of Egypt in Genesis. This saved Egypt from famine, and helped many other nations and tribes around them, including Joseph's own family. This lasted until generations later when the Egyptians forgot the good Joseph did for them and became fearful of the Hebrew people. Even later, when Israel was exiled from the land God had given them, the Prophet Daniel served in Nebuchadnezzar's court in Babylon. Daniel gave the wisdom God offered him, even to one who might otherwise be his enemy. Daniel continued to do so, even when it put his own life in danger. Thankfully God continued to watch over him. Jesus, though he was not shy about speaking out against the religious leaders of his time, also invited conversation. We see this in the talks he had with people like Nicodemus, who was friendly and curious towards Him. We also see this in more confrontational conversations, such as in Jesus' famous statement on taxes. While Jonah was reluctant to prophesy to the enemy of his people, the Ninevites, God was ultimately trying to show him that Nineveh was not so bad and were deserving of mercy too. It is important to be willing to work with those who might otherwise be our enemies. We see this with the example of Shuri, not to mention the examples we have throughout Scripture as well. |
Please note, there maybe Spoilers in the Posts below!
The Rev. Trey KennedyHere is my take on how Superheroes and other characters can help us know God better. Categories
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