I want to be a hero. Like Batman. I want years of physical conditioning and martial arts expertise and I want to go into brothels and take girls out and stop warlords from using child soldiers. I want to beat the sex traffickers and evil dictators to a bloody pulp.
But I’m not Batman.
I have it in my head that that is what it takes to be a hero. And when I can’t live up to that it makes me feel like a failure. So after watching The Dark Knight Rises, I thought about what it means to be a hero.
Heroes are fearless. They save others and don’t think twice about the toll it takes on their bodies. They must sacrifice themselves nightly. Batman came close to death so many times, but he still fought because he believed Gotham could be saved. He became an image of hope for a city in constant crisis. He humbled himself by keeping his identity a secret to protect those that he loved dearly. There were many times when Bruce Wayne hung up his cape because he felt like a failure, then rose again when he saw others suffering.
Jesus was very much like Dark Knight. He took a beating worse that Batman could ever dream of, then rose again to save the world. He hid behind a mask when he was fasting, as he was doing it for the Father, not himself for others to see. But Jesus never failed and never will fail. He will wear his cape for eternity.
I want God to make me fearless. I want to have the courage to stand up to those who oppress others. I don’t want to fear death because when I do die, I will be in my father’s house. I want to trust that God will allow me to change the world through Him.
I can be a hero. Whether it be telling an orphan that someone loves him, or getting a girl to leave a brothel and live for Jesus, or simply smiling at a homeless person I see on the street. When He gets rid of my thoughts of failure and fear, I can be like Batman.
