Superman: Jesus in Disguise? (Part 2 of 2)

In the last post we looked at the parallels with Kal-El son of Jor-El (Superman), and Jesus, Son of David (Christ). Now, I hope to touch what these parallels mean for our culture and what they mean for the gospel. Sounds like a huge goal, doesn’t it? Well, I suppose it is, but I’m only working out a sketch.

What the Superman/Christ connection means for culture. Insofar as Superman embodies the ideals of generations gone by as well as today’s generation, his iconic status clues of in on a couple of things. First, since humanity is created with a purpose, and history is unfolding toward God’s goal, humans cannot escape their design. We cannot help but notice that the world is not as it should be. There are wrongs in this world that demand righting. Second, We need a hero. But, we need a hero that can do what we never could. One that is like us, yet not like us. Third, this hero must stand against all that is evil, and must embody justice to the fullest. Fourth, despite the argument to the contrary we still, deep down at our God-created core, know good from evil, and desire good to triumph over evil. Fifth, we cannot save ourselves. We are helpless to bring about the change that we so desperately need.

What the Superman/ Christ connection means for the gospel. First, the gospel presents us with the true myth. Part of the conversion of C. S. Lewis was his realization that the story of Jesus is the “true myth.” There was a time, during his “B.C.” days, when he thought the parallels between the Gospels (i.e. Matt, Mrk, Lk, and Jhn) and ancient pagan mythology proved that the story of Jesus couldn’t be true. But, in his conversion (which came about as a result of long conversations with Lord of the Rings author, J. R. R. Tolkien) he had a life-changing “aha” moment. The similarities between the Gospels and pagan myths, rather than invalidating the story, actually proves it! God’s was guiding history, in a manner of speaking, to set the stage for Christ to walk on the stage. The belief in creation, sin, judgment, and redemption (in one form or another) are universal themes, and they strike a chord with nearly every human heart. All the highest hopes of men, and the greatest themes in all stories find their fulfillment in Christ.

Second, the story of Superman provides Christians with a cultural point of contact to share the gospel. If you live in America, then chances are on more than a number of occasions you’ve seen people wearing Superman “S” t-shirts. They’re all over the place (and Yes, I own one). The Man of Steel is probably the largest cultural icon other than Jesus in America. So, this provides us with the opportunity to turn an ordinary conversation about Big Blue into an evangelistic conversation without it seeming forced (recall the similarities in part 1). This demonstrates that anything can be used as a springboard to presenting the gospel.

Oh, and here’s another parallel between Superman and the God-man: when both were resurrected, they came back transformed. Jesus was resurrected in a glorified body, never to die again. With the resurrection of Superman (though the weaker term “resuscitation,” might be more fitting) a serious question of his immortality has been raised. It is possible that so long as Superman is exposed to our yellow sun, nothing can kill him? He is, after all, a solar battery, more or less.

Ok, I’m tapped out…