Spider-Man and Jesus

Debra Hirsch, my former church minister, once asked me three important and wise questions. "Who are you? Where are you going? Who is going with you?" While the first two questions deals with the individual, the last question forces us to look beyond ourselves.

And nothing is more heartening when we bump into a fellow pilgrim, a fellow sojourner who also speaks the very same language of life that we understand and makes us want to exclaim,“What, you too?!” And the load on one’s back is instantaneously lightened, albeit temporarily, knowing full well that one is not alone on that same countercultural journey, that there are others out there who have also chosen the same path as you have and are discovering the same conclusions.

Trent, a 26-year-old fellow same-sex attracted Christian guy, is one such guy I recently came across on this online network for same-sex attracted Christians. On being same-sex attracted and choosing to remain single and celibate, Trent writes about the encouragement he drew from the film ‘Spider-Man’.

Trent writes 15/02/06 07:02 AM :

"The first 'Spider-Man' movie came to the Big Screen my first year in grad school. While everyone enjoyed the movie for its action, I found encouragement there. Not because it spoke Gospel truth, but because it illustrated it so well.

You remember the closing scene. Mary Jane (MJ) confesses to Peter Parker (Spider-Man) what he wanted to hear all his life: She loves him. However, they can only be friends. And though Peter Parker loves MJ, Spider-Man cannot. To have a relationship with MJ is to put her life in danger. He concludes, “This is my gift; this is my curse.”

Our circumstances are both a gift and curse. Curse, of course, because we cannot move one week to the next with pain. The pain is manifold: loneliness, alienation, watching youth slip away unshared, denying ourselves the fulfilment we seek (notwithstanding how short-lived and unsatisfying that fulfilment can also be). Even while I will readily admit that God’s grace is there, I cannot deny that the hard times do come. Yes, they are more seldom, but they still cut deeply. This is our “curse.”

But it is also our gift. Jesus said so. Not homosexuality, but celibacy. In Matthew 19:11, Jesus says celibacy can only be accepted by those to whom it has been given. The Greek work for “given” is often used to denote a gift. “Why does he call it a gift?” I wondered for many years in college and grad school. Well there are two reasons. The first reason it is better for the Gospel (1 Corinthians 7:1-7). We have more time dedicate to our saviour’s service. Here, Paul too calls it a gift.

The second reason is because of our intimacy with God. In biblical times, the eunuch was the most trusted official in the king’s court. After all, who would question his commitment?! (lol!). Our celibacy affords an intimacy with God that is unique to the celibate (1 Corinthians 7:32), and that is a truly worthy gift.

So this is our gift and this our curse. We may not fly between skyscrapers and foil bank robberies, but we do have superpowers. Not by our own strength, of course. When undertake the Lord’s work, we undertake a supernatural task, aided by supernatural strength. For me, there is no pride in homosexuality, but there is deep and strange gratitude in my celibacy. I love my Jesus, and I love the privileges of serving him."

In the same way, for those of us who have responded to and committed ourselves to the countercultural call of Jesus, we are all like Spider-Man in some ways. Spider-Man has a mission to fulfil, one that is a 24/7 calling and it changes all aspects of his life. Our mission, if we’ve responded to that call, is also a 24/7 mission and one that changes all aspects of our lives as well - in the choices that we make, the destiny we choose and the sacrifices we make.