I love superhero comics. When I was in junior high and high school I got the impression that it wasn’t ok or cool for a girl who was supposed to be Most Likely to Be a Librarian to be mesmerized by comic books. Now graphic novels are the thing worthy of literary prizes (like Maus) but back when I was growing up they weren’t considered A Good Use of Your Time, and also were A Big Waste of Money That Could Be Sent to Starving Children. So I would hide underneath the captain’s bed to read them in a few stolen minutes (ok, hours), between chores and homework.
My brother was the Keeper of the Comics in our house. Reading the latest Avengers or X Men required that you wash your hands SUPER carefully, take ONE comic book out of its plastic cover – (“Don’t bend it!!! You’ll totally make it lose its resale value!”) and turn each page with two hands. The really good ones there were two copies just in case his clumsy sister messed up one copy, so that the “investment copy” didn’t get ruined.
I loved the idea of having a superpower that could help you soar over the scary parts of life–invincible and unafraid in the face of a home life that was at times frightening. As a kid I felt so un- un-able, unwanted, unpopular, you name it, I was the “un” one, even within my own family. The specter of shame loomed large in our family:–don’t shame your team, don’t bring shame to your parents.
This past Easter I had a strange epiphany. Saddled with the job of giving a team devotion on Easter Sunday, I read through the Easter story–last supper, betrayal, crucifixion…and I wondered what the disciples felt like hearing Jesus predict his death–and then seeing the crucifixion. I don’t think we have anything that resonates in the same way…but I thought, “What if I was a follower of X, and he or she said, ‘Just so you know, in three days, I’ll be found in a crack house next to two meth addicts and I’ll be killed in the police raid. And it will be a good thing.’ ” I am not so sure how your church body would respond, but I think there would be a few folks who would say that wasn’t something to boast about.
And yet.
And yet Paul said that he would boast in Christ crucified…and I began to wonder–if the very thing that seemed to be the greatest shame, was actually the thing that was Jesus’ demonstration of super-power, what did that mean for me?
Is it possible that the very things that I am most ashamed of, are the things that can be transformed by God to become a “superpower”? Jason Gray, in a 2008 interview, said “…with my stuttering, I get to symbolically stand for the truth that God takes all those things – all of our brokenness – and turns them into our qualifications… it doesn’t really matter what’s in our hands, what we think we can bring to the table. All that matters is that we come to the table, and let God look after the rest. One of the byproducts of all this is the fact that if we come and serve and work out of our weakness, those who are weak won’t be afraid of us, we become a safe place for others.” (RR Interview: Jason Gray, by Matt Conner, Sept 2, 2008)
Shame into Superpower. That would be a good thing.
Living in the Locust Years 