Please note, The Batman is rated PG-13. Spoilers!!! The Batman starts out pretty grim. While the film gives us the smartest Batman we have seen to date in film, living up to his title of "Detective", this is also one of the grittiest movie versions of the Dark Knight. An early introductions to Batman in the film comes when a bunch of gang members ask who he is. After brutally beating one of their number, the Batman simply responds, "I'm Vengeance." Batman is an understandable reaction to Bruce Wayne's pain. As a child, Bruce saw his parents gunned down in front of him. He uses his childhood grief and anger to fuel his crusade against crime in the ever declining Gotham. The beauty of The Batman is it doesn't stop there. Throughout the film, Batman becomes transformed and sees he needs to follow another way. In his own words, he says: Vengeance won't change the past, mine or anyone else's. I have to become more. People need hope, to know someone's out there for them. As Gotham becomes a "No Man's Land" thanks to the Riddler, Batman steps up to no longer be Vengeance, but to become Hero and Rescuer. Batman's transformation mirrors our own that we find in Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of his own change through Christ Jesus in Philippians 3. Paul was once the strictest follower of the Law, as he reminds the Philippians. Yet he counts it all as naught in comparison with love, knowledge, and grace given from our Lord Jesus Christ. It's not that Paul stops following God after coming to know Jesus. Instead, he shifts. Batman does the same by continuing his crusade against criminals, yet leaning now towards inspiring hope rather than vengeance. As with Batman, it is easy for us to allow our past to bring out the worst of our demons. Through Christ Jesus, we have hope to transform that past, as Paul did, into something brighter in service to God and to our fellow human beings. My hope is that Batman shows you that is possible and that Jesus makes it happen for you.
0 Comments
Please note, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is rated E10+. Last month, we had a passage one Sunday from Isaiah 65:17-25. In verse 23, there's a mention of calamity, which naturally got me thinking about Calamity Ganon from Breath of the Wild. This is fitting as Breath of the Wild is set in a post-apocalyptic Hyrule, and this part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, a.k.a. 3rd Isaiah, speaks of the coming return of Israel from exile. In truth, this train of thought helped me see more of the meaning for this passage. These verses specifically assisted me: They shall not labor in vain, There's a specific area in Hyrule that fits with what 3rd Isaiah is saying here. Most of Hyrule has been destroyed at this point, though there are a few towns and traveling posts that have survived Calamity Ganon's attack on Hyrule Castle. However, there is a side quest you can take on that leads to the creation of a completely new town. At the end of that quest, two of the townspeople get married, with people coming from far across the land to share in the celebration. Even after destruction, there is the hope of new life. That is the lesson 3rd Isaiah was trying to impart as Israel prepared to return Home after the Exile. It is the hope we see in Hyrule. It is also the hope for us to remember that we have in our Faith, whether we face times of calamity or times of renewed breath. |
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
|