Last week I was on a long wifi-enabled flight with free movies. I took advantage of this and checked out a bunch of titles. I found myself watching the last three minutes of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” over and over again. Sitting in that window seat, I was almost in a trance as I would watch, rewind, and repeat. With each viewing, I was unknowingly getting more and more emotionally charged up even to the point of tears. This was interrupted by the stewardess saying “Sir…excuse me, sir…sir! Can I get you something to drink?”
I looked up to her and said, “Yes, um, water please.”
At this point, the stewardess saw that my eyes were red and teary. Very sweetly, she asked, “Is everything ok? Can I get you anything else?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.” And, under my breath, I clarified the reason for my emotions…
“Spider-Boy gets it!”
That’s right. This one 3-minute clip encapsulates why our company Kingdom Scene was founded and why we created a game for kids called Lightgliders. Before you see the clip, let me set this up.
Kingdom Scene’s vision is to see kids all over the world confident in who they were created to be, actively serving others, and passionate about Jesus their king. That’s the dream. And, to support it, we designed and produced a game for kids ages 6-12 called Lightgliders. It is parabolic in that kids enter into a story that teaches. Every Lightglider learns that they have three goals — to respect, to rescue, and to restore. They are to respect themselves and each other. They are to rescue the Gliddles from the Machines. They are to restore the land from the blight. If you’re new to Lightgliders, this makes little sense to you…and that’s ok! This isn’t about Lightgliders, this is about the understanding and application of a biblical worldview.
As mentioned in our last blog post entitled “Investigating Easter,” everyone has a faith or a worldview. Therefore, it is important to know what worldview we have adopted, why we have done so, and how we know it is true. We also built a case for the resurrection of Jesus as a historic event that substantiates the Christian or biblical worldview. And, the AWESOME thing about a biblical worldview, is that it is not only intellectually satisfying, but it is also extremely practical motivating an active love. Check out how practical a biblical worldview really is in regards to how we should care for others and the world around us:
- RESPECT. If God created everybody on this earth in his image, then there is a divine spark in each of us. There is inherent dignity in each of us. We must respect ourselves and each other because of this no matter our differences.
- RESCUE. If Jesus came to earth to go to the cross and rescue us from our sin and suffering, then we can, out of gratitude, seek for others to be rescued from darkness and oppression.
- RESTORE. If Jesus promises to come back to complete his mission and fully restore this broken world, then we can look to the future with hope and even live as a signpost of this hope.
When I internalize a biblical worldview, I recognize that my foundation is Jesus–the great RESPECTER of life, the passionate RESCUER of souls, and the powerful RESTORER of this world. And He is coming back! And, until that day comes, I wish to live for something greater, to love with intensity, to stand against darkness, to fight for truth and justice, and to dance with joy because the future is secure.
It sounds almost mythological, but it’s true. And, because it’s true, the ending of Spider-Man 2 got me. I want kids all over the world to learn from this. Wait, let me clarify, I want to learn from this. Take a look:
Did you watch it? I know one viewing won’t clearly relay what I saw. And, some of you may not be able to get past Paul Giamatti dressed as a mechanical rhinoceros or the fact that I am even writing about “Spider-Boy.” I understand. I really do. Regardless, please allow me to point out a few things:
0:39-0:41. He is an Ordinary Kid.
We see a kid. Not an adult. He even wears glasses. Nothing special. In fact, almost un-special. However, in three seconds, we observe three things about this kid that make him extraordinary.
- He is dressed up like Spider-Man, the one who will ultimately save the day.
- He looks at the destruction and darkness wreaking havoc in front of him without fear.
- His first instinct is to look up in the sky to see if Spider-Man is coming.
This should be you and me. Nothing special…yet aware and unafraid of the darkness. Looking for the rescuer to come. So confident in him that we actually seek to resemble him.
0:59-1:22. He Stands in the Gap.
Unafraid, he decides to act. He leaves his place of comfort and safety to penetrate the darkness. He runs to stand in the gap between the oppressor and the oppressed. He even breathes a sigh of resolve as if to say, “I’m doing this!” Again, this is an example for you and me. Are we willing to do the same?
1:25-1:45. He Represents the Rescuer.
When taunted, his resolve to represent Spider-Man intensifies. He puts on the mask. He seems to believe that the more closely he resembles Spider-Man, the more effective he’ll be. This is exactly what we are called to do. To represent Jesus until He returns. And, if taunted, to intensify our resolve.
1:58-2:14. He Lives by Faith.
When Spider-Man does show up, the kid takes off his mask and says with a smile, “I knew you’d come back.” He says it almost nonchalantly. He just knew. And, because of that belief, the kid could do what he did. That is living by faith.
In that short clip, I saw an example of how our personal stories can and do intersect with the great, overarching story of God’s redemption and restoration of this world through Jesus. It began at the cross and will continue until Jesus comes back. And in the midst of that grand story is our personal story and journey through life. We have the opportunity each day to work for the world’s redemption and restoration by representing the only One who can do it. The only One who will do it.
And that’s exactly what Spider-Boy did. Totally ordinary, but absolutely extraordinary.
~Zach