Please note, Astro City is rated T. Previously, we've looked at the Samaritan in Astro City including who he is, how he came to be, and his selfless pursuit of good.
Yet being selfless comes to the detriment of Samaritan's personal life. Many of us in ministry give up a great deal to do this work. It takes up a great deal of our time too. If we're not careful, this can have a huge impact on our health from a physical, mental, and spiritual level. For this reason, many in Scripture take a break when they need it. Elijah, when he struggles, takes time to go to Mt. Horeb. God even gives him an out where he won't be doing the same level of prophecy as before and will instead be focused on raising up the next generation of prophets in the form of Elisha. Paul, in the midst of his travels, took time to care for his own needs. He did this specifically through his work as a tentmaker. In this way, he provided for himself and made sure he wasn't acting in his ministry 24/7. The greatest example we have of taking a break is Jesus. He often would go by Himself for a while to pray. Unfortunately he was typically interrupted in His personal prayer time, yet he saw the importance of doing so and made a practice of taking this alone time. That is why it was so good to see Samaritan taking the opportunity of going out on a date with Winged Victory in Astro City (vol. 1) #7. He needs this time and this break. After seeing him in issue 1 getting very little sleep, it's a wonder he's not running on fumes. Whatever ministry we do and however we go about doing it, we have to make sure to take care of ourselves as well. This is what we see in the examples of those who went before us. It is what we see in Jesus as well. It's not selfish to take the time we need to recharge and rebuild our relationship with God. After all, that's what Jesus Himself did in this world.
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Please note, Astro City is rated T. We've already established Samaritan's desire to do good in Astro City. That desire is built into his name. Samaritan came to Astro City in the 1980s in order to prevent a disaster that would lead to the near destruction of humanity in the 35th Century, the time period Samaritan originally comes from. The intention hadn't been for him to gain superpowers. That was a side effect of his time travel. Eventually Samaritan returned to his time and found it completely changed thanks to his help averting the crisis he was sent to stop. It also meant his family had never been born, so he had no home to go back to. When reflecting on what he had done, Samaritan realized that if one action from him did so much good, what could more good deeds do for the future? This approach is similar to Paul's words in Philippians 3. There Paul reminds the Philippians, and us, of the righteousness that comes from Christ Jesus. Yet Paul doesn't stop there with that righteousness. He wants to do more. He wants to be more. As he says in verses 12-14: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Samaritan is pressing forward to do more good in the world. For the sake of our Lord, we should too. Who knows the good that can come from our continued striving as we seek to be closer to God and receive the ultimate prize of our relationship with Jesus? Please note, Astro City is rated T. Previously we saw the selflessness of the Samaritan in Astro City. Now we see what his name actually means. Samaritan is so named thanks to his first superhero action, which happens to be when he first got his powers. When asked about who he is by the press, he just states: "Call me a Good Samaritan." Samaritan's reference comes from the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel according to Luke. In this Parable, Jesus tells the story of a man in need of help. A priest and a Levite, religious leaders in Jesus' day, pass by and do nothing. Only a Samaritan comes to this man's aid. The significance of this story comes from the fact that Jews and Samaritans did not get along in Jesus' day, even though they both were descendants of Abraham. Some of the reasons for that are laid out with Jesus' own encounter with a Samaritan woman in John 4. Samaritans were looked down on by many in Jesus' day. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus is trying to point out that what makes people followers of the law, loving their neighbor as themselves, isn't who they are, but what they do. The Samaritan is more of a neighbor to the man in need than the religious leaders of his own community. In this way, the name "Samaritan" went from being looked down on to being raised up. That is why the Samaritan makes the reference he does to Jesus' Parable. That is why he takes on the name as his own. |
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The Rev. Trey KennedyHere is my take on how Superheroes and other characters can help us know God better. Categories
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