NBC's Heroes...

I just finished watching the premiere episode of "Heroes" on NBC, and I must say, what a show. I know that I have always been a comic book fan, and my favorite was always X-Men. Something about ordinary people, discovering extraordinary abilities that have been hidden within themselves, laying just beneath the surface. It's a theme that resonates with me as a Christian. It think that as humans it is a longing that we all experience. The desire to know that life is more than just passing time. That our lives could be something greater, that we could leave a mark or have an impact on this world.

I think that the show is built around this premise. There were two points in the show tonight that really reflected this longing for life to be something more. The first moment, Hiro (the Japanese "hero" and my personal favorite) is trying to explain to his friend what his special powers are, and why he wants to have them. He says "You don't understand, I want to be special." His friend tells him that they are not special, that they are like everyone else, and Hiro replies "Fine stay here, and be just like everyone else." The second point was towards the end when Peter is trying to prove to his brother Nathan (who is running for congress) that he can fly. He says "It's my turn to be somebody now Nathan."

Isn't that the longing of the human heart? To be regarded as special. To be different, to be identified as "somebody"? But our identity will never truly come from what we can do, who we are, what we wear, what we drive, what our job is, or what we accomplish. Our identity is based on Christ. On what He has done, is doing, and wants to do through us. Identity based on anything less than that will be an identity crisis.

I think this is why a lot of people in third world countries, and in poverty stricken areas of this world seem to be more joyful than most Americans. Because they have less stuff to base their personal worth on. The more you have, the more opportunity there will be for an identity crisis. They don't define their identity by their possessions, what they do, or what others think of them. Their identity is based on something else entirely.

I hope this show succeeds. I think it will, because it taps into that desire of our human nature that longs for something more. How do we as Christians who have a hope, who know that God has prepared in advance good works for us to do, show this world that there is something more. That our lives were purposed for something greater than we could ever imagine? That we can be more than heroes, that we can be more than conquerors. Not because we are embedded with some super powers. But simply because He has loved us.