I smiled as I recalled the hype of Tony Stark, which had soared when his movies were shown internationally. His fame comes as of no surprise to the contemporary audience, most of whom are brought up in the days of super hero worship. I mean, who of this generation hasn't experienced playing Superman or Batman during his childhood days? We may be laughing as the memories of our pretend fighting days (complete with props and storylines) come to our minds, but it's true, right? An essential part of the role-plays we've been accustomed to is imitating the protagonists in spandex who rule primetime television. And yes, Iron Man, even without the spandex, is undeniably part of this legacy.
Heroes. The common equation they probably have is an ordinary, mundane life which transforms into the extraordinary through some special power or gift. Oh, and the popularity...
So where does this come from? I guess this concept of "hero-worship" is rooted in the basic need or tendency of humans to bow down to something, to look up to someone for hope that life is not just all that boring. (If this were not true, then Iron Man wouldn't have raked in so much renevue in the past few years.) I got this profound idea from Dr. James Kennedy's novel (What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?). This is why I personally laugh at the irony of atheism, because it goes against our very nature: our desire to worship something higher and bigger than we are.
The next question is, "Whom should we bow down to?" Sadly, many have answered this question with earthly possessions, shallow relationships, and even by their own capabilities (self-worship). And interesting enough, some have resorted to the fictional heroes, whom the advanced world has given so much value for. We probably do not notice it, as it has become part of our culture, but I believe that a society that feels more comfortable with discussing/fantasizing Iron Man than talking/meditating about God is having its priorities misplaced.
I am not saying that watching and admiring Iron Man as an entertainment figure is wrong, and there is nothing actually sinful about wearing a fan shirt, much like that of the jeepney driver's taste. But we ought to guard our minds as we reside in this temporal world. As Christians, we should not allow ourselves to get too attached to the things of this world that we lose our focus on the things of God. Yes, the many heroes that we know have their memorable one-liners, flashy costumes, and amazing superpowers, but those are only in the limits of our fantasy. In the real world, we only have The Invincible God. He is more than enough to satisfy our need for a higher power. And He alone deserves our worship.
And who says we can't be super? In the real world, we are made by God to lead extraordinary lives. We don't need costumes for that. Through Jesus, our ordinary, hapless being is transformed to a rich and meaningful existence. And to His children, God says,
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing, and perfect will."(Ro.12:2)
And because we already have our security in the Lord,
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (2Cor4:16)
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