From the Desk of a Geek:
Whose Side Are You On
This morning I woke up earlier then usual. Cathy was scheduled to have a Zoom study meeting with some classmates around 9am, so I decided to get up and write a script for the podcast show later today.
After spending some time in the Word, I decided to watch
Captian America: Civil War to get me motivated for the day.
In the film, the Avengers – led by Captain America – are informed that their days of operating with “unlimited power and no supervision” are over. The governments of the world demand the signatures that will put the Avengers squarely in the “supervision” category.
Captain America believes this will severely limiting their ability to fight evil. Discussion takes place, debates are had, points of view are shared. But ultimately, there is no agreement. No one listens and no common ground met.
The Avengers find themselves on the edge of interior conflict, of civil war.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? During a conversation or a debate, thanks to social media, we realize that we are not going to agree. We should be able to leave it there, at the simple understanding that we are not in agreement. But rarely can we do that, thanks to Facebook and other social media sites.
We don’t actually believe that “agreeing to disagree” is a point of strength; rather we feel it to be a sign of weakness. If the other person or the other side doesn’t come to see things our way, we have failed.
And so we flex our soicial media muscles on and off the computer or smartphone.
We issue challenges, we mistake disagreement with conflict and we display the strength of our argument.
In the movie, this is the pivotal moment. There are six people in the room and the tension is high. Voices rise, tempers flare. In the midst of it all, the Vision delivers a short, yet haunting quote.
“Our very strength incites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe.”
In Vision’s words, I hear echoes of the writing of James.
Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1: 14-15 NIV)
God is not the one who brings evil or catastrophe. That’s on us. The moment we feel the need to pose the question, “Whose side are you on?” we give way to temptation, challenge, desire, conflict, sin, catastrophe, and death.
On screen, the story descends into a civil war that pits former friends and comrades against one another. Ultimatums are put forth, weapons are forged.
In the aftermath, Vision cradles his friend in his arms and utters a single word, “Catastrophe."
Conflict, sin, catastrophe…this is not the way of Jesus.
At Creation, heaven and earth were one realm, and God was present among us. But when sin and death entered ceation our ability to discern God’s presence was impaired.
We interpret this as being separated from God, but God hasn’t gone anywhere.
God does not abandon His creation, but sends out a rescue mission – through prophets and His word, which resides in the person of Jesus Christ, who shows us the way to live our lives so that we might usher in God’s kingdom and a new creation.
Even though sin and death bring themselves upon Jesus, His resurrection shows us that God is not destroying the world, but preparing a home for us. A home of eternal love.
I don’t believe asking “Whose side are you on?” brings us to the way of Jesus. What if, in asking that question, we unknowingly lead others and ourselves into the temptations of our evil desires?
Could asking that question be interpreted as a challenge, which incites conflict, which breeds catastrophe? Are any of those the kinds of things that will last into God’s new creation?
I don’t believe they will.
In the film, none of the Avengers gets it right. Neither side listens well. Neither the way of Captain America or the way of Iron Man embodies those things that will last into God’s new creation.
It is not until the last two movies
Infinity War and Endgame do they abandon taking sides and allow their relationships and friendships to defeat stubbornness.
Lonnie
