Into Every Life, a Little Kryptonite

Good Monday morning! In our culture we tend to look for superheroes. Celebrities who can do many things well seem to be all over the news. Athletes want to retire to become famous actors; actors want to do movies showing off their athletic skill; singers become actors and vice versa; and sometimes we elect a former actor to the presidency. An enduring figure in pop culture is the aptly named Superman. Why beat around the bush with a name? Superman is super-human. The only thing that Superman had to fear was a manner of bringing him down to earth - a piece of his home planet Krypton. Superman's biggest, and perhaps only fear, was a piece of kryptonite making his strength only normal. In other words, the biggest fear of a superhuman is to be made human. How awful. Yet this is not at all off the mark.

The famous athlete fears injury and aging bringing an end to a well-paid career. The actor fears damage to her marketable face or voice. The model to his body. The singer to the voice. Oh, the horrors of being brought back down to the level of the normal people. Yet, into every life a little kryptonite may fall. Most everyone goes through a period in life when things seem pretty good. Health problems are years away, the physical condition may not be perfect but any extra weight comes off without too much effort, age lines and sun damage to the skin is minimal or concealable, and the mind seems sharp and even witty at times. We don't seem to have much need for that religious stuff during this period. Some of those young men and women raised in the church as we say, may move away and try to live on their own merits. Then, a tragedy of some sort.

Some of us have a personal tragedy, or two. Others have the tragedy happen to someone close such as a child or spouse, father or mother. A smaller group may be witnesses to a tragedy, yet remain untouched physically. Suddenly our floating heels slam back to hard ground. The jaw open in wonder at the beauty of life is suddenly chewing on the gall of bitter pain. We are no longer in control of life and events. Powers that seemed remote suddenly assault the mind and steal away loved ones or health and wealth. Pain, grief, loss, and weakness whirl around us, and suddenly it seems we know personally the meaning of the biblical term: woe. Into the life, a little kryptonite has fallen, and super-man or woman is now human once more. The blessing in this may be difficult to see.

In the aftermath of our first real tragedy in life, we may miss the blessing. Some never find it, choosing instead to remain angry at God and walk away forever. Others, a select, or maybe I should say elect few, find the love of Jesus waiting for us to take notice. A love that went to the cross and died for our sins. A love that rose again on the third day in victory over Death and the Grave. A love that even now helps us daily to overcome the lingering pain of all those tragedies. A love that, yes, walked with us in those tragedies and felt what we felt, even before we believed and gave our lives to Him. Not only did the love of Jesus bear the penalty of our sins, He bore the pain of our tragedies as well. Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friends. Is it any wonder that Jesus calls the heavily laden to come to Him?

Yesterday, we celebrated the resurrection day of Christ. Today, take the time to come to the Resurrected One.

Bucky