Rummaging in our key tin yesterday I found this – my old Lego Wonder Woman keyring (image on the right). Noticing that she was damaged I was about to throw her out when two things suddenly came to mind.
Firstly, as I sat looking at my broken Lego Wonder Woman, I felt the gentle whisper of Jesus saying ‘there’s healing for the broken superheroes’.
Secondly, I remembered our Vicar’s insightful sermon from the previous day, unpacking the story of the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11 and why God had thwarted the plans of his people. There’s nothing wrong with ambition or building towers and cities (phew – my husband is an architect and was relieved to hear that!).
But the motivation matters.
From verse 4 of Genesis 11 we can understand WHY God needed to save his people from themselves.
“Come let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let’s make ourselves famous so we won’t be scattered across the Earth”. Genesis 11:4
God had already commissioned his people. He had blessed them, made covenant with them, and instructed them to go throughout the earth and be fruitful.
God had instructed his people to be a scattered people.
And here they are using their skills to build a city so that they won’t have to scatter. Instead of obedience, they are working to be famous. They want to make a name for themselves and receive the praise of men, rather than obeying God.
Meditating on that for a moment, I hear the challenge to us - God’s people today. We know our commission comes from Jesus to be a scattered people. He gave it to us in the great commission to go throughout the earth and make disciples. Our instruction is to make the name of Jesus famous – only his name.
Yet, I read of, and have experienced, leaders believing they are superheroes and driving their people to build the equivalent of cities and towers for fame. Rather than being content to be scattered and unseen for the sake of the gospel, some fall prey to a superhero complex, and damage themselves and others in the process.
Sometimes, it’s not the leaders, and it’s not for fame, but it’s still a tempting ‘superhero trap’ that pride sets us.
The Wonder Woman keyring was a gift from my family a few years ago, during a particularly intense period when a lot of responsibility was resting on my shoulders and a lot of distress calls were coming my way. It was a reminder from them to remember that I WASN’T Wonder Woman, and I shouldn’t try to be.
Are you subtly being tempted to put on a superhero costume? Is it beginning to feel that others expect you to save everything and everyone; to respond to every distress call; to fill all the gaps and make sure everything functions smoothly? Are you beginning to believe that you can?
It’s an easy trap for administrators and operations staff to fall into. We may allow someone to drape a superhero cape around our shoulders. Or we may choose to put the costume on ourselves and believe the lie that we’re called to be a superhero for the sake of the Kingdom.
If we’re beginning to think that God’s call involves us becoming a superhero, we’d do well to remember the tower of babel and the great commission and reflect on what he’s really asked us to do.
I imagine some of us are being tempted to be superheroes currently. Please, this summer, take your superhero cape off. Give it back if someone else is trying to place it on you. If others are expecting/demanding you to do it all and save it all, hear that God is NOT asking you to.
What you CAN do, is bring the need and the distress call to Jesus – and ask him to unleash his power to work in the situation. Only Jesus is a superhero (remember the children’s song ‘Jesus you’re my superhero’?!) – he’s not commissioned any of us to be.
I imagine that some of us have tried to be a superhero, have failed, and feel broken as a result. Or perhaps we’ve been damaged by a superhero complex in leaders striving and driving to build cities and towers for fame and applause.
If that’s you then hear the gentle whisper of Jesus saying that he loves you and he has healing and restoration for you in this season. I pray you receive it from the true superhero – Jesus – the only one who knows you and unconditionally loves you and rescued you.
For you,
Jules
Jules Morgan
UCAN Executive Director