Heroes

I just got done watching "Spiderman 2" and I must admit I rather enjoyed it. Watching previews earlier was to suggest this was about one man finding his destiny. In a sense I suppose it was, but what I picked up more on was the role of the hero. Perhaps even better was the use of the gifts that you are given, I suppose you could call that destiny, but I want to stick with using your gifts, doing the right thing with them.

Doing the right thing is hard. Doing the right is hard because it usually has consequences. In the movie it meant the sacrifice of family and loved ones. What have you sacrificed to do the right thing? It reminds me some of the call of the disciples. As Jesus began calling the disciples some of them said things like, "Let me first bury my father." To which Jesus replied, "Let the dead bury the dead." Jesus spoke also of coming to divide families. The call to discipleship is one of sacrifice, it is not an easy road. Those who follow then, in a sense, are heroes. Yet there is a certain humility that does not allow one to call themselves a hero, they are but a dutiful servant.

We see this same sense of self-sacrifice in superheroes like Spiderman or Superman. When trouble calls they can only answer that call as best they can. It is perhaps this same sense of self-sacrifice that leads us to be disappointed with those we make heroes like sports figures. When somebody like Kobe Bryant ends up on trial we are stunned. We want to assume that because he is such a good basketball player he is a hero, because he has sacrificed to get to this level. However, we fail to ask what he has sacrificed. Has it come at the cost of morals and values? There were a couple of different places in "Spiderman 2" that talked about that, they talked about using the gifts for good. So while there may be sacrifice involved in doing the right thing, in becoming a hero, it is for the sake of the greater good and not at the cost of morals and values. That is perhaps what is so difficult with passages like Jesus calling the disciples because we want to include family in the greater good and that call messes with our head. It is hard, it is sacrifice.

Independence

What is this independence thing all about? I know I often fight for it in my life. I seem to think it's a good thing, but then when I get it I suddenly begin to realize that it makes me feel stranded and lonely. This past week we celebrated Independence Day, it was a day we celebrated freedom. Sure I do think it's an amazing thing that we live in a country where a movie like "Fahrenheit 9/11" can be released as a huge criticism/attack (depending on which side you're on) on the president. Some of those freedoms are good, I suppose. Yet, it seems that too much freedom is not a good thing. If I'm given a long enough leash I'm more likely than not to simply hang myself. Left all on my own I start making poor choices that inevitably lead to my destruction. That's certainly true in terms of my faith life, the most important part of my life. I simply cannot do it on my own. I need help. I am dependent. I think I would rather learn to celebrate my dependence.

Mama Bird

I'll get to some of the previous thoughts I mentioned the other day later, for now I wanted to share with you a thought I had on my run today. I got a little ways out of town and was passing through scenery that appeared to come straight out of a Roy Rogers cowboy movie. After a little while I noticed a little black bird chasing ahead of me. It reminded me of some runs and drives while in Nome as a mama or papa ptarmigan chased ahead to try and steer us away from their nest. They were sacrificing themselves for the sake of their young.

In the movie "The Passion of Christ" that stirred up so much this past spring there was a scene where a buzzard plucks they eye out of one of the criminals on the cross. It seemed unnecessary to me at the time, but was it not trying to communicate the same thing as the ptarmigans in Nome? In essence Jesus died on the cross to attract the devil, evil His way so that we, God's precious children, would be protected. He was sacrificing himself for the sake of us. What an amazing gift..."a free gift, with no strings attached." (To quote a famous story)

An Apology

I suspect there may be some who are disappointed that I have not posted in some time, nearly a week really. To those people I would like to apologize. I really didn't intend to leave you hanging... Last Tuesday I helped the Hanson's move all of their stuff out of their house as they moved it all to Burlington. So for now we sleep on the floor in our sleeping bags. I no longer have an internet connection there. Consequently I am limited to a half hour a day at the public library and perhaps briefly at church late at night on one of the slowest connections I've used in a very long time. I haven't even been able to keep up with my e-mail, much less the blog. I do have a few things to share I hope to get them out soon. Last Thursday I went kayaking, although some might argue that it looked a bit more like swimming. I ventured over to Boulder/Lafayette this past weekend to hang out with an old buddy. Today I got to work on Independence Day. It seems I've got a few thoughts on each of those, and perhaps a bit more. I hope to get to these and other topics soon, but unfortunately now is not going to be the time. Until that time, thank you all who have checked in regularly and for all of your kind notes, warm thoughts, and various prayers.