SUPERHEROES An’ I’ll know my song well before I start singin’ –Dylan
They’re all around us – if movies and comics count, and they ought to, as our imaginations are filled with them and their exploits, and we dwell upon them, turning their deeds over and over in our minds.
What attracts us to them are the extraordinary powers they possess and wield, as well the unnaturally gifted and powerful villains they must face.
And we like that they are human, partaking of our condition, and often dealing with the very same issues we ourselves deal with.
Technology, superhuman strength, genius-level intelligence – these some of the weapons in their arsenals.
They strike a chord in the intuitive faculty of our hearts, for we know (those who
do know) we are indeed surrounded by malign predators of genuinely supernatural power and wisdom, and we rejoice in the battle of titans, even if in fantasy. It does our hearts great good.
Yet, even as we rejoice in these wondrous tales, we overlook – or at least minimize –
actual authentic heroes and heroines who are truly possessed of gifts and powers beyond the natural, but their exercise of them is very low-key, perhaps
occult being a better word – used in the neutral sense of
hidden from view (from its Latin root,
occulere), as in occult blood in the stool, or occult carcinoma – for their mighty acts are generally not seen in the realm of the eye, nor are their implacable enemies visible either.
With a micro-manic tendency (as opposed to megalomanic) these who are called Lightbearers – after their Captain and Champion – often greatly underestimate and consequently undervalue the nature of their divinely altered beings. Once they were ragamuffin demon-spawn (even the greatest among them, princesses and kings alike), fit only for Gehenna, dump of rotten souls, but they were redeemed from this fate by a ransom of infinite price, and adopted into the royal line of the Son of God, made partakers of His Spirit, whence their abilities spring.
So many among them understand not that their simple words carry prophetic power greater than those born merely of woman (Luke 7:28), and that the power of death and life is in their tongues (Proverbs 18:21). By their occult (unseen) activity they may tear down demonic strongholds, as they call upon the Master Warrior in whose life are their lives hid. The words they speak to their fellow humans, those yet demon-spawn walking captive to the evil one, may bring the entrance of eternal glory into their darkened breasts as the Saviour of the world is held up before them in His majesty, love and power. Those who have hears to hear, will hear.
Those angels who have keener discernment than movie producers observe the human scene. “Ahh! There goes one of ours!” they exclaim, “See how she has her eyes on Jesus, even though she cannot see Him in the flesh? See how she calls to Him in her distress, and receives the ‘glorious power which strengthens her unto all patience, and longsuffering with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father’? Now she carries herself like a queen, though she be harassed and afflicted!” “And look at that one! See, he is about to die from loss of blood and crushing wounds, but the name of the King of Heaven is on his lips, and the sound of it wafts into the ears of those standing by – even his killers – and the merciful One is granting some of them life and faith by it, and they are being made new even as they watch the blood of the brother they have broken seep into the ground. See, now their hearts are anguished, and they cry out to Jesus for mercy for what they have just done. Truly it is as dear Tertullian said, ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’ How exciting it is to watch these children of the King do their precious exploits against the prince of villains! How wonderful it will be to fellowship with them when they are all present in the Kingdom and everlasting glory!”
More like Hobbits, these, than the modern warriors of Hollywood, with their muscles and steel and weapons of death. But braver than the strongmen of earth they are, as toe-to-toe they stand with the dark angel, overcoming him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11) More soldiers of the cross, than soldiers of glory (the women too!), for the King has taught them what manner of Spirit they are of.
These are exciting to watch and contemplate also! And such we are.
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