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. Disclaimer: unless otherwise stated, the majority of images produced here are not owned or created by me. Commenting is encouraged. Please use discretion leaving comments below, letting the love of God guide you.
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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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