Skip to main content

I'm Not Saying I Have Mutant Superpowers, But Maybe I Do

You young kids may not believe this, but there was a time when there were only two X-Men movies. There was a time when live-action superhero movies were just beginning to overtake our universe. And since there were only a couple of X-Men movies out, we were being introduced to people. Who they were, what they could do and why they were the way they were.

X2 Magneto and Pyro
There is a line from X-Men 2 where Magneto asks a young guy named John what his name is. When John answers with 'John', Magneto asks for his real name. It's Pyro. Not surprisingly, he can play with fire. Magneto affirms his powers and encourages him. This could have been a real made-for-TV kind of moment until you realize that Magneto is amassing an army. Oh, and he's the bad guy, despite what he may tell you. So Pyro isn't going to be making any campfires for s'mores anytime soon.

But Magneto's point is clear - don't hide from your real identity. I believe that is key for all of us to remember. We probably don't have superpowers, but the Bible does tell us we have gifts. It's not a genetic mutation, but something which God purposed us to have. Like several of the X-Men, our identity, our real identity, is connected to our mission.

There are things that only the X-Men can do, even in the fantasy world. There are things that only we can do. Oh, maybe other people have similar gifts. Perhaps others can do what we do to a greater degree, but none of them were placed where you and I were placed.

Yes, my use of the word placed makes it sound like you're a pawn in a cosmic chess game. I'm not saying you didn't make choices. But don't you ever wonder what led you to some of the choices you made? Don't you ever feel like something has been guiding you? Couldn't it be that you are where you are, able to do what you can do, for a reason?

I think it is crucial for us to find these things out. What's your mission? The answer to that just may start with telling someone your name. Your real name.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...

But I Wanted It

As I've said before , I'm looking for a new place to do youth ministry. Job searching in itself can be a full time task. Unfortunately, no one is paying me to look for a job. And when you haven't had to find a job in 15 years, the whole experience can feel brand new. And nerve-wracking. And quiet. So very, very quiet. I may spend a few hours here and there sending out my resumes and writing cover letters. But the churches I'm sending my information to have their own timeline. And sometimes that timeline does not involve acknowledging my presence. Which is fine, especially if one of the churches I've applied to is reading this right now. I understand those looking for youth pastors will have their own agenda and their own timeline. But it leaves me sitting here with a deafening quiet around me. I am choosing to walk by faith through these days, picturing God working behind the scenes (always behind the scenes) and holding His voice very still, until He is re...