The Dark Knight and the Son of God

"He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion." Mr. Beaver, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Do you ever feel the pressure to say something profound? Well, I do. All the time. The profound is partially what drives me to write. That, and writing is somewhat theuraputic for me. Often I find though that when I'm looking for the profound, I often can't profind it (he hits a lazy can of corn into the outfield... and that's out number 3). Seriously, though, it's in a moment of unconscious competence that I find the profound (or rather it finds me). The above title is some such thing.
It happened to find me as I was walking home from the library one day, thinking about a job interview I was going to have that week. Thinking about my spiritual life to this point, it hit me that my spiritual journey with Jesus was much like my journey with Batman. Yes, Batman. You know, the Dark Knight of Gotham City, the Caped Crusader? He's like the Babe Ruth of superheroes with all his nicknames...the Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, etc. That may sound like some crazy notion, but I believe that a lot of theology can be found in the comics.
For instance, did you know that Superman was created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, who both happened to be Jewish? Superman, is of course, a colossal superhero from the planet Krypton capable of saving the entire world from any sort of disaster with amazing (albeit way too many) super powers. Yet, he doesn't want the world to know who he is and so disguises himself as the "mild-mannered" Clark Kent. But did you know his Kryptonian name is Kal-El? Notice if you will, the "El" suffix. El is the Hebrew name for God. And think about the premise of Superman. A guy comes to Earth from a distant place to save the planet from distruction with amazing feats of power. Yet, he disguises himself as a regular guy. Sound like anyone else you've heard of? A messiah perhaps?
Anyway, I don't like Superman. Too much going on there. So back to Batman and my original point. Growing up, I watched the 1960s Batman TV show in syndication. This was quite possibly the worst version of Batman ever made with the Zaps, Pows, and Zwings and Cesar Romero as the Joker with his make- up caked over his mustache. Horrible. But when I was six years old, this was the coolest thing ever. And then as I grew up and learned more about Batman and all his complexity, that 60s TV show doesn't seem as real and exciting anymore. The Batman I know now is way more exciting. I see Jesus in this way. I came to know Him at an early age and the things I learned about him were wonderful and exciting, but as I grew up and learned more about Him, the more I realized that that Jesus was somewhat shallow. The Jesus I know now is much tougher, much more complex, much more a Savior than the Jesus I knew as a kid. "...for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4 ESV). Think on the depth of the power of Jesus Christ and you'll soon discover that Jesus is greater and deeper than you ever thought possible.

Epitaph of the Living Man

"All, all are sleeping on the hill." -Edgar Lee Masters, Spoon River Anthology

Throughout my young life, I've heard many speeches on "the dash." You know, the dash on a headstone, the one that sits right between your birthday and the day you kicked the bucket? That one. Let's be honest, the last thing you look at on someone's grave is a dash. And yet, I've heard many people speak on it. More often than not, the thing that sticks out is the epitaph. Whether it be "loving husband and father" or "never forgotten" or some such thing, you notice that more than any other thing on the headstone.

Then it comes to me. What about my epitaph? What do I want it to be? To be quite honest, I still don't know if I want to be buried or cremated, so I might not even have one. Author Hunter S. Thompson was cremated and had his ashes shot out of a cannon. I found that rather amusing (this after he committed suicide out of boredom, which I still don't really understand). "Radical atheist" Douglas Adams (of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame) was buried and a memorial service was held in his honor at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in Trafalgar Square. I found that rather ironic. So what's the point? Well, first of all, I just like that useless information and second of all, I don't think I have one. Except maybe that epitaphs are pointless. Think about this: On your grave is your whole life summed up in one sentence. One sentence? That's it?

Personally, I don't want my life summed up in one sentence after I'm dead. So starting right now, my epitaph is being written, not in words, but with my life. The way I figure it, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20 ESV). My life can't be summed up in one sentence at one point where my earthly life ends. My epitaph is being written every day by God's hand, in the blood of Christ, with the pen of my life.