Superman vs. Batman

"Do you think that Jesus is the Son of God?" That is one of the questions that I am asked through the Compassion Revolution and especially because of Revolution II The Parables. It is a valid question and one that serves as a foundation to the Christian Faith. To answer that question I turn to two super heroes: Superman and Batman.

I grew up a big fan of both. From the ages of four to seven, I could routinely be found with a towel safety-pinned around my neck as I would take on the role of either hero. They were my clear-cut super favorites! A comparison of the two also helps me answer that lead question.

Growing up I was essentially taught that, like Superman, Jesus came from a distant realm to save us while possessing super-human qualities and super-natural abilities. However, the more I studied the life of Jesus of Nazareth, I began to realize that perhaps, Jesus was more like Batman.

In the DC Comic, Batman was a man, like any other (bank account withstanding) who became a man like no other. He had a vision that was greatly impacted by the injustice that he experienced and witnessed in the brutal world around him. With that motivation, he went to work to make that vision a reality. In the process, he developed super-human abilities that served that vision. It's easy to see how one could swap out Jesus' name in the statement above and have a very accurate and telling description. I believe that Jesus, as a man...like many others, developed a unique bond to God that accelerated him to a point of being a man like no other.

So, Yes...I believe Jesus to be the Son of God in a special sense that exceeds most, if not all mankind. Not necessarily in that Superman sense that I was taught as a fundamentalist, but in a sense that is far more meaningful to me.