Are you like Batman or Superman?

Growing up during the golden age of comic books, I was a big fan of classic heroes such as the red and blue caped Superman and the menacing black hooded Batman. Superman was practically invincible, with super strength, invulnerability, and heat vision (thus classified as a super hero), typically winning any conflict decisively. Batman dealt with challenges using ingenuity, high-tech gadgets, superb physical conditioning, and no super powers (thus classified as an action hero).

I found that over time I accumulated more Batman comic books than Superman books. Batman seemed more intriguing than other super heroes. Batman would endure a lot of pain and loss while triumphing over the bad guys he encountered. During the years, I passionately witnessed Batman's back getting broken and the first Robin (his teen sidekick) dying. It was no easy road being the Bat! Conversely, Superman hardly ever got into life-threatening situations and was typically able to extract himself from any fierce cosmic battle using his superior powers and never needing an adhesive bandage afterwards.

Which character you most identify with often shows what kind of Christian experience you have had. I have noticed that some young Christians suffer financial hardship, broken homes, lower allowances, busted manual cars and misguided relationships but still keep marching on in faith waiting for the tide to turn, like Batman did.

Other Christians are more fortunate. A couple of weeks ago,, I read about John Gocke. A part-time youth ministry leader who lost all of his material possessions such as his vehicles and house due to the loss of his full-time job. On top of that situation, the birth of his twin sons and the death of a family member were equally imminent. A Christian neighbor walked up to him and told him that he had lost his job unexpectedly but had a better paying position offered to him within hours. "Isn't God great!" he exclaimed.

Yes God is, but at that moment John felt as though he was God's stepchild and his neighbor was the real thing. These Superman Christians may lose their jobs but get an even better one within a week, lose a car but someone gives them a new one. They rarely seem bummed out by anything because they are so blessed.

Is Superman more spiritual than Batman or vice versa? No! Does God bring a diversity of experiences to people because of the kind of Christians God wants to make us? Absolutely! Christ even did so with his apostles.

Most of Jesus' apostles died as martyrs for the faith after lives of sacrifice and suffering to spread the gospel. This hardship happened to them not because they were God's stepchildren and got second-class (or Batman or Badman! as the Jews would have it) treatment but because their suffering was the best way they could glorify Jesus and perfect their characters. Peter and Paul were greatly blessed by God. Paul even sang about it in prison. They apparently did not drive around in SUV-style chariots or make high-dollar nike endorsements, but those status symbols were not a measure of their faith.

The Apostle John might be considered more of a Superman-type Christian. He did not have to die a martyr's death even though the Romans tried to give him one. According to Church tradition, the Romans soaked him in a cauldron of boiling oil but the torture had no effect on this Superman; so they had to give up and pull him out of the grease jacuzzi and exile him to the Isle of Patmos. Was John less spiritual than Peter or Paul? No. Just given different experiences by God for his perfection in the faith.

In life, our experiences may bring and include suffering or suffering may pass us by and knock on our neighbor's door. But when suffering and persecution does walk in through the front door, we can take comfort in knowing that our suffering may happen not because we are not capable of success but because some of us are simply Batman Christians. And that's OK. At the end of the day, the caped crusader from Gotham always came out a winner and so will you!

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