Previously, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy found themselves mysteriously back in Narnia. In this chapter, they realize they are in the ruins of Cair Paravel, the castle they ruled Narnia from as kings and queens. As they explore the castle ruins, they find their old gifts from Father Christmas back in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. While some are partially used and others lost, they all find at least part of their gifts in tack and in working order.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians, lays out the various gifts of the Spirit. These are meant to last for us as well because they are to be used for the good of the community and to the glory of God. As such, when we need those gifts, they will be there and present for us to use. The only one without a gift is Edmund because he was serving the evil White Witch, the false Queen Jadis, at the time. This action was his chief sin during The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Edmund repented of his actions, but there were still consequences, one being the death, and subsequent resurrection, of Aslan. This mirrors Jesus’ own death and sacrifice to save us from our own sins. Another consequence is that Edmund never received a gift. It is certainly something he could have used now. This is a reminder to us that our own sins have consequences that can be far reaching. This is not to say that we are not forgiven or that we aren’t allow to move forward because we are and we can. However, it is a good reminder to us all to think through our actions not only for their immediate result, but also for how they will continue to impact ourselves and others in the future.
0 Comments
Please note Encanto is rated PG. The desire not to talk about Bruno brings an interesting dynamic in the Madrigal family in Encanto. Instead of being open about what happened, the Madrigals sweep everything under the rug. This is the opposite of what we see Jesus do. As He prepares to die on the cross, He tells His accusers that: I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have said nothing secretly. Not everyone desires to be as open as Jesus. Peter, for example, tells Jesus to be quiet instead of discuss His coming death on the cross. Jesus' response is to tell Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" Keeping secrets can be extremely unhealthy for families and groups. Jesus realized this. We should too. In Encanto, keeping secrets reaches the point of disfunction, leading to the major problems the Madrigal family faces. Fortunately, though, Bruno's family loves him still, are glad to have him back, and are thankful he's okay. To keep ourselves healthy and out of danger of falling apart, we need to consider following Jesus' example in keeping things out in the open. It's tempting to brush things under the rug, yet that often doesn't help anyone. Instead, it's better to be open about the past so that we might have a brighter, and transformed in Christ, future.
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are getting ready to head back to school when we see them once again. Yet out of nowhere, they are whisked back to the land of Narnia, a place they have not set foot in for a year’s time. This event seems out of the blue. Yet this is how God’s call often works with us. Think of Samuel, who is called before he even knows God’s voice as a boy. Reflect on the other prophets of old who were suddenly hit with a vision from God like Isaiah or even those who suddenly hear God providing them with a new task like Jeremiah. Remember Paul as well, who converted after his unexpected encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus. We don’t know when it is that God will call us, or to where that call will lead. We have to be ready at all times so that we too can answer the call of our Lord. Please note, Encanto is rated PG. In Encanto, one family member is missing: Bruno.
Bruno has the ability to see the future. This created problems for him because people more often than not didn't like what they heard. People's treatment of Bruno is not dissimilar from how we often treat God. Often times we don't want to hear what God has to say to us. We even see this in Scripture. When the ancient Israelites don't want to listen to God, they follow their own path, one that leads to their eventual exile. Jonah in his anger at God's forgiveness of Nineveh sulks outside the city gates long enough for a plant to grow up next to him. Jesus is put to death because some of the religious leaders in His time didn't like what He had to say. Peter and Paul had to deal with religious and state authorities who didn't like what God had given them to say either. When others didn't want to hear what Bruno had to say, he thought it was best that he go away. Even though so many have not wanted to hear what God has had to say over the years, fortunately God did not do the same thing. God continues to be an active part of our lives, even when we are ungrateful and follow our own path instead. Instead of blaming the messenger, as Bruno's family and community did with him, we are called to listen to what it is God is saying to us. Even when we don't do a good job of that, thankfully God will remain there for us until the day we are willing to listen. Please note, Encanto is rated PG. Generally when I watch or read something, I have a pretty good sense of whether there is something there for me to talk about with The Gospel according to Superheroes. Encanto was not one of those things.
Then the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany came. As I looked over the readings for that day, I realized I wanted to talk about how even with the best of intentions, we can go the wrong way down. Often times it takes the miracle of Christ Jesus in our lives to draw us back from our mislaid intentions and bring us back to God. I realized that the crux of Encanto's story spoke to what I was seeing in Scripture. However, It’s a Wonderful Life provided a story that would also connect with those readings, and I felt more people would be familiar with that film. Encanto, though, was perfect for The Gospel according to Superheroes, not least because it is about, in essence, a family of superheroes. Thus the first Encanto post was born. The interesting thing was Encanto fit one of the other readings for that Sunday, the reading from 1 Corinthians. I hadn’t preached on that passage, but it would come up in a Christian Formation session I was working on. With both 1 Corinthians and Encanto on my mind, the second Encanto post was born. The other posts on Encanto came about from my continued thoughts and conversations on the movie, including thinking about the Paschal Candle due to an upcoming Baptism at the time. Right now, I have at least one more idea with Encanto coming soon. After my first watch through, I didn’t immediately see how I could use Encanto for Gospel according to Superheroes. Fortunately I was open enough to listen to God and realize I needed to give it a second look as a tool to see the Gospel message more clearly. That’s really the whole point of Gospel according to Superheroes. What I hope to share is an openness to finding God’s word in even the most unlikely places. I also hope to share what I have learned so that you might be able to hear God speaking to you too, no matter where that might be. Please note, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is rated TV-14. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, SPOILER ALERT!, ends by becoming Captain America and the Winter Soldier as Sam Wilson takes on the role we always knew he could as Captain America. As he does so, he finally takes down the Flagsmashers, saving the Global Repatriation Council (GRC) so that they may continue to do the work of restoring the world to where it was before the Blip (Thanos' Snap).
Except, it's not that simple. As we saw before, Sam had sympathy for Karli Morgenthau's goal of the Flagsmashers following the mantra "One World, One People". What he disagreed with was how she went about the work of making the world one. So when the GRC leaders are dismissive of Karli and all that has just happened, Sam does what he does best and what makes him an incredible Captain America: he starts to give a speech. Sam admits his ignorance when a senator calls him out for not understanding the complexity of the situation, but Sam tries to get the GRC to ask the question "why?" when it comes to what Karli did and why so many followed her. In looking at that "why", Sam points out that, thanks to Thanos, everyone now understands a great truth of the human condition: powerlessness. He urges the GRC to think through their actions, because what they do could potentially have the same impact on people and their families as Thanos had on the entire world. Sam ends by saying to the GRC that when it comes to their power, "Question is, how are you gonna use it?" Sam admits in his speech that he is no stranger to the idea of helplessness. He knows the burden carrying Steve's shield brings. He knows millions will hate him for "carrying the stars and stripes", but he's still there. He still has a job to do. As Sam puts it, "The only power I have is that I believe we can do better." His hope is that the GRC will meet people meet people halfway when it comes to what to do with those who returned from the Blip and those who were displaced by it, especially as they demand so much from others. Sam's courage is the same Jesus calls us to have. Jesus didn't shy away from those who disagreed with Him. Like Sam, Jesus too called them out where they were wrong. It is also easy for us to forget that Jesus, as a Palestinian Jew in Ancient Israel, would have had a darker complexion than we in the West often depict Him as having. Israel, at the time, would have been seen as a small, bothersome nation within the Roman Empire. The discrimination Sam faces as a black man in America likely would not have been completely foreign to Jesus. We certain see Jesus being looked down on for not being raised as a teacher, but instead as the child of a τεκτονος, a skilled laborer. Yet Jesus persevered. We see the same determination from Sam too. Sam is also calling the GRC to think how their actions will impact, as he puts it, the people who aren't in the room with them as they make their decisions. This is the call Jesus makes to all of us in the Second Great Commandment derived from Torah in Matthew: "Love your neighbor as yourself." We know that none of us can be as perfect as Jesus, not even Captain America. Yet our call as Christians is to try. Sam does so here by living into Jesus' example of speaking truth to power, continuing to serve in spite of the hardships thrown our way, and calling others to love God with every fiber of our being as well as our neighbor as ourselves. |
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
All
Archives
May 2024
|