Have you ever noticed how everybody has somebody that they look up to? Every story you read has a protagonist, the character we typically fall in love with, the hero. You never ask someone, “Who is your hero?” and have them answer, “Myself.” Everyone has someone that motivates them, pushes them to be better, encourages them or just makes them smile. For a lot of people, this person is a fictional character like Spiderman, Batman, Harry Potter or James Bond. This person is someone they see as strong and powerful, yet is relatable. For many others, their hero is a real person, be it a mom, dad, grandparent or celebrity. But no matter what type of hero you may have in your own life, you are searching for someone to save you from whatever situation you currently find yourself drowning in. Your superhero is supposed to do just that.
I recently heard a story of a little boy who was 100 percent sure that Superman was real, and the day he found out Superman was just a character in a comic was the worst day of his life. This little boy was waiting for Superman to save him because his father had abandoned him and his mother was never home. When he learned Superman wasn’t real that automatically meant Superman wasn’t coming, and that meant he was stuck without a savior. When the idea of Superman was thrown out the window, all the hope and faith this young child had went with him.
Though this story is drastic, it is real. At first, you may not think this story connects to your life in any way. You may not think you have any circumstances worthy of needing a hero like this little boy, and neither did I, but then I realized I am waiting for my own Superman just like he was. Every day we must face situations that we might not have expected. These situations may be easy or hard. But either way, we must dive head first into them and embrace the outcome. This is hard to do, and more often then not, it is these situations that lead us to long for our own Superman. You may be constantly waiting for someone to save you from drowning in homework. You may be constantly waiting for someone to save you from having to make important decisions. You may be waiting for someone to save you from your imperfections and repeated failures. You may be constantly waiting for someone to save you from your suicidal thoughts and depression. No matter how heavy or light your situation, you just don’t want to deal with it. You want someone to take the load from you. You want someone to save you. You want a break.
Identify what it is you are constantly wishing your Superman could save you from. Big or small, find something you really can’t tackle on your own. Now imagine you were told no one was ever coming, that your Superman doesn’t even exist. What do you do?
Do you lose all hope, or do you rise to the challenge and tackle the problem yourself? What if tackling the problem yourself isn’t an option either? The good news is that there is a story with a protagonist who is real. There is a story where the superhero has already come and is coming again. This superhero has saved you from whatever it is you need to be saved from. He has taken your burdens, and he is carrying your shame. This hero has saved us all. He is strong and fearless. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He loves you, he has saved you and he wants to know you.
The things you need saving from may not be the same as everyone else’s, and that’s okay. It doesn’t matter if you feel like you need to be saved from something big or small; you can rest assured in the hope that you have already been saved.
Your Superman is real, and he is the protagonist in the greatest rescue story ever told. You do not have to continue to search for your version of Superman because you already have one. When you call to him he comes running. He restores your hope and faith and helps you through any situation. His name is Jesus.
