Disappointed with God???

Have you ever been disappointed with God? Ever thought He was not holding up His end of the bargain? Seemed as though He was getting a little lax in keeping all those promises that He made that you frivolously applied to your own life? You are not alone! But maybe it is not God's fault...
 
Since 1938 when "Action Comics #1" (the comic where Superman FIRST appeared) hit the market America has been in love with superheroes. Don't believe me? Four significant stats...2012's "The Avengers" ranks third on the all-time money making list for films (it cost $220 million to make--to date it has earned over $1 billion); and recently, out of the 120 known to exist, an authentic "Action Comic #1" sold at auction for over $2million! Two words...Comic Con. Lastly, major studios have contracted for a slew of new superhero movies to be made through 2019. But why do we have such an obsession with superheroes?

First we must understand the culture that birthed the superhero. In 1938 (though Superman was certainly NOT America's first exposure to a superhero persona I am using him as an accurate test sample) the US was just getting over the Great Depression and WWI.  F.D.R. had promised Americans a "New Deal," but in Germany Hitler had already named himself the Fuhrer and was about to invade Czechoslovakia (which would eventually turn into WW II).  Let's face it...we needed a hero who, even though he was an alien, could move "faster than a speeding bullet," was "more powerful than a locomotive," and was "able to leap tall building in a single bound!"  LOOK..UP IN THE SKY...eventually he came to uphold such stalwart traits as, "truth, justice, and the American way!" It appears as though he was just the kind of hero we needed.

But to really understand HOW that happened we need to go beyond 1938.  One thing I neglected to tell you was that in 1938 the "Father of Modern Psychology" was nearing the end of his life. Sigmund unbeknownst to him, entering the last year of his life. It was his ground breaking and provocative work, "The Future of Illusion" (1927) that hold the key to this riddle.  Freud thought that one thing common to all humanity was fear. It was fear that drove the psychosis which lead to delusional thinking. Because of our unwarranted fears, Freud said, we "project" a defender. He said that because we have a sense of what is just and right we are offended when injustice occurs yet we are helpless to avoid it or overcome it...it is at that moment that our fears cause us to project a defender.  So, Freud concluded, because we fear death we project a "heavenly Father," because we fear the unpredictable and the unknown we project a "protective father" (Savior), and because we fear each other we project a God who is a "just judge" that will eventually set everything right.
Freud was,

So clearly...at least my understanding of Freud states that we want God to be our superhero when things are tough...He shows up and saves the day.  He is greater than all of our foes, and arrives in the "nick of time" to triumph over our foes and to stand for "truth, justice, and the American way!" Or does He?

It may be what I EXPECT...but, at least in my life, that has not always been the case. Is it possible that we have a wrong view of God?  Is it possible that we should NOT personify Him as a "superhero?" Don't be confused...I believe He IS just and righteous and at some point He will set ALL things straight, in His own way (not to be confused with my own perception of justice or rightness).

But our perspective is skewed because of our view of God.  Note this...John chapter 13 describes Jesus showing his 12 disciples the "full extent of his love"--when he took the role of servant and washed their feet...telling them...if you understand what I have done for you...you should do this for others.  In fact, he tells them that they will be "blessed" (a word we really have no grasp of) if they do it! So the way to save the world is to serve it.  PIECE OF CAKE!! 

An often overlooked fact concerning John 13 is this...Jesus, knowing full well who would betray him...served Judas...he washed Judas' feet to show him "the full extent of his love." WOW!! So we save the world by serving the world....ALL of the world...people who are not like us, not the same culture as us, not the same background as us, not the same color as us, not the same "religion" as us, people who don't even like us, people who will betray us!! YES YES YES YES!!! It is a risk we are commanded to take!! Jesus didn't just die for the Church, for Americans, for Republicans, for heterosexuals...HE DIED FOR ALL HUMANITY!!! To save the world we must risk serving the world in the way that Jesus did.

Just in case you aren't "getting" this...we show the world that God is a superhero who empowers us to be on his team. It is the love of God in the blood of Jesus displayed through believers that demonstrates to the world that God is good, and just, and that someday soon he WILL send Jesus to ride in on a white horse to take charge...but for now...the world needs servants, willing servants, who are not interested in going to church...but who are interested in being the Church. God is SO much bigger than "truth, justice, and the American way"...we live in a hopeless world, that needs hope...can you help?

I believe...help me in my unbelief.