I love me some Marvel superheroes. Captain America, Spider-Man, Ant Man, Iron Man (is it just me or do a lot of these end in 'man'? Hmm. A bit sexist perhaps...), they showcase a broad spectrum of heroes, anti-heroes, reluctant heroes, trying their best but still making mistakes heroes...Yep, I'm a geek. And superheroes aren't relegated to the world of Marvel or DC comics any more, either. Seems everyone and their brother-in-law is making stories about heroes with superpowers of some kind, whether they're magic like Harry Potter or mythological like Percy Jackson, or supernatural, like every paranormal romance ever written-- we love our characters extra special. Extra powerful. One in a million. In fact, we love taking it one step further, making our characters the MOST powerful, the MOST special. Fated to save the world. Chosen, prophesied, foretold, fated. It's getting a little clichéd, actually.
Don't get me wrong, I love me a good superhero. An occasional 'chosen one' or 'fated mate' isn't horrible. But go back for a sec to the roots of modern fantasy-- you know who I'm gonna start talking about, right? J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings of course. That all time beloved classic that's been ripped off too many times to count. Every fantasy author wants to write the next LOTR. Do you realize that the entire concept of LOTR is exactly the opposite of the recent superhero/chosen one craze in science-fiction and fantasy? It's up to two lowly hobbits, Frodo and Sam, to find their way into Mordor and save the world. They're the least of all the companions. Not wizards, not warriors, not mystical elves or mighty dwarves. They're the weakest, the least educated, the least experienced, the most unlikely of heroes. Many times I'll pick up a new fantasy book about a supposed unlikely hero who then goes on to discover unique abilities, or exceptional gifts that he or she has. They aren't all that unlikely, actually. They end up with something no one else has got. Not so for the hobbits. It could be said that their only superpower is the willingness to keep moving forward when all hope is lost, when their quest seems like a suicide mission.
And wow, does everyone love those hobbits. For all that they're weak and pathetic, they're some of the most celebrated heroes of literature. I guess it got me wondering, What happened to all the underdogs? Why is it that to be cool anymore in your speculative fiction, you have to be super-extra-powerful-special-chosen? Frodo and Sam were chosen, in a way. But they weren't imbued with special abilities-- only with enough grace- barely- to make it through their mission. Plus they had some cool friends. And oh how they made our hearts sing!
So that all got me thinking about those verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, (quoting from the NKJV) "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence...that, as it is written, 'he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'"
I love that just so much.
Sure, I love a good superhero. But it's so comforting to know that even a hobbit can save the world, and that you don't have to be extra-super-powerful-mighty to be loved and chosen by God. He delights in using the weak ones to accomplish great things. And when you're struggling with whatever burdens or stressful things you've got in your life, and maybe you're like me and you have days where it feels like World War Three just to make it till bed time in one piece, well, it makes the victory that much sweeter when you do accomplish that great thing. Or when you make it to the end of a rough day and by God's grace, you've got your family fed, the dogs are still alive, and you even managed to smile once or twice. It was a close thing, but, dang it all, you did it with no superpower other than grace. I think that qualifies you as being EPIC.
