On Superheroes - Not Just for Kids Anymore

I used to think that the fascination with superheroes was reserved for those under the age of 12—where children dress up as Spiderman for Halloween, they play Superman in their backyards, or wield their light sabers around the house in hot pursuit of their villain father as he comes home from work (or is my household the only one where that happens)?

But a look at some of the summer blockbusters over recent years seems to suggest that as an adult society, we are quite taken by the Superhero theme—those characters who, on the outside, appear just like you and I, but on the inside know down deep that they possess some otherworldly power; a power that carries with it the darker temptation to use it for one’s own devices, but yet is intended for the good of a society in desperate need of rescuing.

Why, I wonder, the recent resurgence of the superhero stories?

I personally love them, and it seems I am not alone in this.

It’s interesting though, how we elevate Superheroes.  Possibly because we all know they don’t really exist, even though we wish deep down inside that they did.

We do try our lot at creating heroes out of our favorite actors, athletes, and musicians—only to be let down by episodes of un-superhero-like behavior.  After enough of these, cynicism steeps into our core, and we begin to lose faith that people would (or could) ever be real heroes, and so we run back to Spiderman, Superman, and Luke Skywalker, because at least they provide some promise, even though fictional, that heroes do exist on some level.

Would it be safe to say that our generation is a generation who has come to expect the Big Let-Down?  When someone seems to lead a great social cause or have high standards of character, or when someone just makes a simple promise, why is it that we all expect them to fail on some level?

Promises are not kept.

Character is traded out for instant gratification.

Social Causes are cynically seen as somehow self-gratifying.

Why?  What has happened to us that we have become a generation of cynics?

Perhaps it is because heroes seem to be in short supply these days.  Dads walk out on their families with regularity, leaving us a Fatherless generation; politicians tell us what we want to hear, only to change course once elected; leaders hold a strong line, earning our respect, only to cave once the going gets tough.

Where have the heroes gone?

Is it possible that this is why we flock to movies about Superheroes, hoping to escape the stark reality of our current situations in order to maintain some hope that the forces of Good might somehow overcome the forces of Evil?

And so my personal challenge for all of us is to look long and hard for life’s real heroes.  They do still exist, and we’re probably not going to find them on the movie screens.  There are still some out there—they are hard to find, but are well worth the journey and the effort.

Let’s learn from these heroes.  Learn what makes them tick, why they do what they do, why they think the way they think.  Let’s learn how to keep a commitment, learn how to say no to people who demand more than we can give.

Let’s learn how to turn off our cellphones for a while, learn how to be present with friends and loved ones.  Learn the virtue of Character, and strive to make that our primary aim.  Learn that the harder path is often the necessary path.  At the same time, learn how to recognize pratfalls and to avoid them before it’s too late.

If we seek out genuine heroes, and genuinely seek to learn from them, we will be genuinely glad.  And we will become more genuine as humans.

As we learn from these genuine heroes, we will begin the process of growing in character—sure, we’ll make mistakes along the way, but in the process we will learn Grace.  Grace to forgive ourselves for our mistakes, and the grace to grow from it.  The ultimate result will be wisdom, if we truly seek it.

And when we have developed Character, Grace, and Wisdom, we will obtain the humility that comes with all three.

And then, my friends, we will find ourselves on a journey toward becoming true Heroes—to a generation coming after us who, like us, will be in desperate need of heroes themselves.

So my charge to us all: 

Let’s find the heroes.  Learn from them.  Ask questions.

Practice ethics.

Become a hero.

Because this world is short of heroes, and desperately needs them.