Emmanuel and Kal-El

As you can see by the new header image this week I am gearing up for the movie I have been anticipating all year. In only a couple of more weeks the last son of Kyrpton will make a his first appearance on the silver screen since I was in kindergarten and I couldn’t be more excited.

There has always been something about Superman that has captured my imagination. Maybe because he was adopted too. Maybe I relate to Clark since I’m a little clumsy. Maybe it’s something a little deeper.

Indeed, I believe Superman points beyond the comic book page to something and someone who is close to my heart. Superman points me to my Savior.

I can hear you now, “What? How dare you. Irreverent!” or “Are you crazy?” or “Yeah, I remember when Jesus defeated Gen. Zod and sent him to the forbiden zone! Now I see it.”

No, it’s not that far of a stretch. Hang with me.

Superman
Sent by his father, Jor-El, to save the world; raised by Ma and Pa Kent in Smallville, KS; chose his destiny to serve the weak, poor, and the helpless; moved to the big city of Metropolis where he used his powers to save humanity

Jesus
Sent by his Father, Elohim, to bring salvation to the world (Jn 3:16); raised by Joeseph and Mary in smalltown Nazareth; chose his destiny to serve the weak, poor, and the helpless; went to the big city of Jerusalem where his sacrifice glorified the Father and and brought salvation to the world

Now do you see it? Did you see a glimpse of what I was talking about?

I hope that Superman Returns is worth the wait. More importantly though, I hope this film can be a stepping stone to help me share the Gospel with students. The trailers have made my theological radar go crazy for quite some time now so my hopes are very high.

I love catching glimpses of the Gospel in film. For you, Superman might just be some kiddie filck. For me it is another reminder of how great my Savior is. He can’t leap tall buildings or freeze enemies with his breath. No, my Savior, the ultimate hero, defeated sin. The last son of Krypton has nothing on the Son of God.