One is simply inundated by the Marvel Comics “universe" these days. Every other week, it seems, another combination of Marvel characters is thrown together to save the universe from a new, or perhaps warmed-over threat. I get it. People don’t want to work too hard at the movies any longer. Art has given way to CGI razzle-dazzle. Perhaps reality is simply so hard to fathom that the “Marvel Escape” is the only coping mechanism. Why not put some teeth into the characters? Why not make Moses a Marvel hero?
Moses is a superhero. I am sorry that our time with him has ended and we are moving on from the book of “Exodus.” The other superheroes have super powers, which is fine if you want to destroy a planet or throw cars around. Moses had a superpower that could blow the doors off of these wannabes. Moses’ superpower was two pronged: vision and tenacity.
Vision. Even before the burning bush thing, Moses had a vision of his people freed from slavery. At what appears to be great personal risk, he sets about righting a wrong as he sees his people being mistreated. Of course, two wrongs never make a right, but it put Moses in position to encounter God in a way that gave him a vision, no an obsession for the rest of his life. What does God look for in persons? If we look to Moses, it’s pretty clear that a clean record is not primary. “Who’s a good boy?” works for dogs, but not for God’s chosen leaders. God looks for tenacity. God looks for those who see the vision, then re-orient themselves to it. Moses simply would not quit.
Not only that, he became an advocate for his people when the story tells us that God had doubts. Talk about a hero; he spoke the truth to power, whether the Pharaoh, the people, or even God! When the question, “Is the Lord with us, or not?” was asked, Moses answered a resounding YES! We would do well to have Moses mentor us.
The year is rapidly coming to an end. We will be in the throes of the holiday season (no, not Halloween), before we know it. We have had a great year and we’ll talk more about that as we approach auld lang syne. We do have a future anchoring the Englewood Arts District. Moses was willing to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, his vision and tenacity not wavering. I don’t know if God will expect us to wander 40 years, but I know that God is with us and “where God is, God provides,” to quote a preacher.
The future is uncertain, but God is with us. Like Abraham, we may be called to a journey that is hard, uncomfortable, and fully reliant on God's direction. The Marvel characters have CGI to make them look flashy. Moses had God leading him. We have the Holy Spirit of God leading us. Who are the superheroes now, Marvel?
We’ll be in Matthew 22:34-46 this week as the Pharisees try to trap Jesus. There is no gotcha with Jesus. Let’s rediscover this together.
See you Sunday,
Paul
PS—Don’t forget the work day Saturday from 9:00-noon.