The Story

You know the story so well: A father makes the ultimate sacrifice and sends his only son to earth to save the race. He enters the world as a tiny baby in a barn, and is raised by two commoners in an obscure village.  Because of his supernatural power and his stand for truth and justice, he is misunderstood and meets with violent opposition. Eventually at the age of 33 he saves all of mankind and the forces of evil are rendered powerless. He continues to live as our savior. Like I said, you know the story...and this story is, of course, the story of...Superman, from the current Hollywood blockbuster Man of Steel.

Seriously?! How's that possible? Could all these parallels with the story of Jesus just be coincidental? Well maybe -- but here is a different take on it. Not only the story of Superman, but every great story we love contains the basic elements of THE STORY; the story of God's love for us: a humble hero has some kind of special power with which he battles evil to save those who are innocent. Unwittingly, Hollywood is simply expressing truth that God has placed in each person's heart. We have an innate knowledge of God within us (Rom.1:19); an instinctive sense of right and wrong (Rom.2:14-16) and a longing for more than this world (Eccl.3:11). We all live with an awareness that things aren't right in our world (Rom.8:23). A film like Man of Steel is humankind's effort to come to grips with this; to express it as best they can. That's not a bad thing.  It's great, because it opens doors for us to share the good news. So go watch Man of Steel with your friends, take them out for coffee and share with them who the REAL Super-Man is!

Left Behind

Ever hear of parents forgetting a child at a gas station or restaurant while on a family outing?  Well, here's a new twist about a dad who was left behind at a gas station near Memphis.  The Texas man, who wanted his name withheld (Hmm, wonder why), had been driving all night and intended to crawl into the back of the vehicle and sleep. Apparently, his family assumed he was in the car, so they headed down the road. The poor chap called everyone's cell phones, but no one bothered to answer. Finally, using a computer from a local motel, he reached them via Facebook. By that time the family van was 100 miles down the road!  The dad feels confident the entire incident was simply a huge mistake. Let's hope so. (Source: WMCTV 5 Memphis)

This whole situation may have been on the up-and-up, but you can't help but wonder.  Maybe that's because it represents what's happening with fatherhood today.  Male bashing is still in vogue and dads seem to be the butt of jokes on sitcoms. It's easy for guys to feel "left behind" by the family -- but that's not God's plan. As men, we're the spiritual leaders...so lead!  Take the initiative and provide spiritual direction for your family. As families, two words come to mind:  respect and support. And by the way, next time you're on vacation, check the back seat and make sure Dad's on board!