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TableTalk is a growing archive of snippets and stories from the heart of our fellowship. Ready to Recalibrate? November 1, 2005
Posted by Lindquist in : Editorial , add a comment“The life you see me living is not ‘mine,’ but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
I have recently read an article that brought me back in time. It comes from the world of…comic books.
I used to be a fan. As I was growing up, I followed the adventures of Batman and Robin, the soaring heroics of Superman, the escapades of Spiderman, and Flash, and Captain America – there were so many. They were simple adventures, in a way. If danger threatened, Batman was not far away. If some tall building needed leaping-in-a-single-bound, Superman could be trusted to appear. An errant lump of kryptonite, it is true, might sometimes trip him up, or some villainous villain. But most of the time, things turned out just as you expected. Superman jailed the villain. Spiderman saved the day.
Comic books are in trouble.
It turns out that the simple adventures I remember as a boy are no longer selling. The price per issue has increased, for one thing. I paid ten cents (when I could afford it) – and now an issue might fetch three dollars. There is a deeper reason for the sales slump, however. Plot lines have gone stale. The drama is gone. Kryptonite and Bat-mobiles? Give me a break. People no longer care.
“Our characters were created in the 1940’s and 50’s and 60’s,” reported Dan DiDio, vice-president at DC Comics – leaders in the industry and “owners” of Superman®, Batman® and a host of traditional superheroes. “There’s a lot of elements where we’ve had a disconnect with the reader base of today.” DC Comics, we are told, hopes to create a new “universe of superheroes more in keeping with the times.” Mr. DiDio was quoted in an article entitled, “Recalibrating DC Heroes for a Grittier Century” (New York Times, 10.12.05).
In a way, this is a task – not for Superman – but for every one of us. From time to time, we need to “recalibrate.” A “grittier century” has overtaken us, and we wonder if our “plot line” is sufficient to guide us through. We may feel that the drama is gone, or become a little stale. If we are honest with ourselves, we can sense the dilemma sometimes in the quiet interstices of our lives: “Why was it, precisely, that I am making a living – and all of this money? What do I hope for in life? What drew me, exactly, to a home in the suburbs, once upon a time? Why is it that I am here?” Many of us can’t seem to remember. We need to recalibrate.
As for me, I have recalibrated the story of my own life quite some time ago – and discovered a world that makes DC Comics pale to nothing by comparison. I have become a part of a Much Larger Story – a story of such drama and high adventure as to occupy my entire life and being. It is a story that includes an Infant King at Bethlehem, a Gracious Savior at Calvary, and a Missionary Captain at work in my life today. He wants to live in me. He has made me his ambassador. Let me tell you, there is nothing higher, nothing deeper, nothing more compelling than this.
Are you ready for the “grittier century” that has overtaken you? Maybe you feel the need to “recalibrate”! If so, let me invite you to give us a call; we would be happy to share the Plot Line. There is room in this Wonderful Story for you.