Superman Returns...Again?
The stories that last the longest are those that speak to the human desire to be the superhero. When Jesus came as the messiah to save the world, his story became the foundation for epic fictional literary works of the last century such as The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Matrix. The last 6 and half decades has seen 7 Superman films, 6 abandon Superman films and several spin offs. A new one, Batman vs. Superman, is due to come out in 2016.
What it is about the story of this superhero that compels movie-makers to retell the tale again and again,and always leaves movie-goers craving a little bit more?
We all want to be epic.
The Man of Steel has always been a reflection of every man, woman and child’s deep-set desire to live an epic life. In our hearts, we all want to be the superhero, the savior of all humankind, the one that saves and brings justice to the world. Superman the character is less a savior of this world and more a figure we all wish we could be: strong, reliable, righteous, and simply, good.
Why did we believe so little in humankind’s potential to be all these things that only an alien from another planet could ever possess the human qualities that we consider good? The founder of the Unification faith, Father Moon, like Jesus took on a mission to bring this world back to God, and was once asked in an interview if he believed he was the messiah as prophesied by the New Testament. As an answer he said, “It’s not a question of whether or not I think I am the messiah. The question is, are you the messiah?” In us, Father Moon sees the potential in every single man and woman, the qualities and ability to be the child God has waited for so long to come to this earth and fulfill God’s will, the purpose of God’s creation. No one person—not even the messiah—carries this potential alone.
The innate desire to be epic—to be so much more than we think we are capable of being—manifested itself not only in religions across the world but even within the pop culture of yesterday and today. We are drawn to it, we are inspired to write and make films about it, we want to watch these stories over and over again; and we even dream and daydream about being the hero, the savior, the one who can be Superman or Superwoman to the world.
We all CAN be epic.
Watch any version of the Superman films and you’ll catch that infamous dialogue between father and son, that one line that goes something like this: “You will be a light shining on the world, a symbol of what humankind can be; what humankind wants to be.” If ever there was straight inspiration to one mind from the collective desires of that part of each of us that knows we are epic, it came to Joe Shuster when he dreamt up Superman.
We don’t need an alien to come to earth to show us what we can be. All we need to do is listen to that part of us that is just dying to be let out, to be brave, to be strong, to be, simply, good. We can be Supermen and Superwomen every day, by seeing every single person as a divine child of God, looking beyond their flaws and insecurities and recognizing their full potential, then being the person that helps others to also see their full potential.
If we can tap into our fullest potential as people who live for the sake of others on a daily basis, if we let our epic side out, we won’t need a superhero to come save the world from itself; we will each become a superhero, a savior, a living reflection of the collective human desire to live epic.
What would you do if you had superhuman powers? What world problems would you tackle? What small steps can you take today to make a difference?