When a Superhero Just Won't Do

A Superhero Just Won’t Do

We can imagine a man of steel who flies, but tell me what’s the use?

His power could never heal a child’s heart that’s been crushed by cruel abuse.

Our imagined heroes inspire us when their courage we all see,

But all their heroism is impotent to set the addict free.

We make stories where millions are kept from dying as a heroine saves the day,

But all those people are still doomed to die when age and decay finally have their way.

Superheroes live in worlds we imagine on pages, screens, and on TV.

But we need Someone who lived in our world and walked in real history.

I think it’s ok to escape for a few hours in a world that is not true,

but when we return we face problems where a superhero just won’t do.

We need more than a hero.

We need a Savior.

We need Jesus.

- by Mark Corbett

I want to share a few thoughts related to this poem I wrote. These types of thoughts led to the poem, yet the poem went in a related, but slightly different direction. Feel free to copy and share the poem separate from these thoughts, but please do include the byline and, where it works, the link I imbedded in it back to my blog.

First (and least importantly), I’m not against superhero movies. I actually like them. They can be a little bit useful by showing heroes who are not merely fast, strong, and have super abilities, but who are willing to face danger, make sacrifices, and suffer for the good of others. In this way, superhero stories reflect truth. God does call us to be willing to suffer and make sacrifices for others. Thankfully, we don’t need to be able to fly or be super at kickboxing to answer God’s call to suffer for a mission which saves others not merely so that they can live a few more years in a world full of suffering, but so that they can live forever with Him in a New Earth without sorrow or death.

The poem was prompted in part by thinking about some of the scary problems we are facing, here in the US, and in the world in general.

> There is a severe and growing breakdown of healthy, whole families functioning as God designed. More and more families are broken or were never whole to begin with. Children raised in these families are far more likely to face many types of problems. Only in Jesus is there healing for the pain of broken families.

> A flood of pornography has inundated our society. It is available almost instantly on almost every computer, tablet, or phone. Many people are strongly tempted by this. It would be like having endless free cocaine and heroin available in every home if every home was filled with drug addicts. We are just beginning to see the terrible effects of this on lives, hearts, and families.

> The US national debt is now over 22 trillion dollars, and last year we spent over 300 billion dollars just on the interest on the debt. The debt continues to grow rapidly. The American public appears unwilling to support politicians making the hard, painful choices to curb this catastrophic trend. Similar trends have happened in other countries many times. The end result is always a severe economic crisis and crash, much more severe than anything anyone in the US has experienced in my lifetime. Unless something changes, it’s not so much a question of if but of when.

> There is widespread substance abuse. Illegal drugs, the misuse of prescription drugs, and alcohol abuse are all rampant. Until very recently, the most common problem with food was people not having enough of it. Now, overeating is considered by many to be the biggest preventable health problem in the US.

> Sexual immorality is celebrated and defended instead of mourned.

You could add to the list. I feel like we in the US have been heading mostly in the wrong direction for several generations now. If we don’t change direction, our children and grandchildren are likely to face types of suffering that, thankfully, most people in the US have had little or no experience with.

There are two levels of solution, and they both depend on God.

I believe our best hope for a general, broad turn in the right direction is a wide spread revival. Something like another great awakening. By revival, I mean a gracious work of God which results in a lot of people loving Jesus a lot more. What will happen if true revival comes? Many more people will be born again. Others who are already saved will be set free from sins, experience healings of many kinds, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be equipped for and called into new ministries. Luke warm Christians will move from being on the fringes to being all in for Jesus and totally committed to worshiping in a local church and serving the Lord. Old churches will grow again and experience new life and new churches and ministries will sprout up. Many are praying for this. We shouldn’t stop.

There’s no guarantee that I’m aware of that things will turn around in the US (and nations with similar problems), although I’m hopeful that God may graciously send us the revival we don’t deserve. God’s plan does not depend on the US or any other nation. His great plan will succeed with or without us. Our ultimate hope is not that our nation’s economy, government, or even culture will improve. It’s that the Kingdom of God will come and all the nations and power structures of this age will be eclipsed by the eternal reign of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All of our hope is in Him. He is much more than a superhero. He is our one and only Savior.

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .