Thin air, exertion, and
who knows, maybe there were some funky mushrooms in the breakfast omelet they
ate that morning, but whatever the case, strange things happened on the mountain
top. Strange things often happen on
mountain tops. Maybe even near-death
experiences, where people see things and hear things that they least
expect. Like Paul wrote, in the busy
lives we live, everything seems veiled, obscured, hard to sort out. The temptations of this world, the
misinformation, the story after story of scarcity or disaster or greed, and soon
our view about the world can be totally skewed.
It’s hard to figure out what is important in our lives when we are
bombarded by so much news and rumor and gossip.
How do we step back and make sense of it all, how do we take time to
think about our own personal big picture, who we want to be, what we want to do
with our lives, how do we show up?
One image from a recent Marvel movie shows the power of getting away to figure out the bigger perspective. The movie Black Panther starred Chadwick Boseman as the hero, King T'Challa of the mythical country Wakanda. When his father died, T’Challa went through a ritual that brought him to a near death experience, an encounter with his father and the rest of the ancestors that had proceeded him. It gave T’Challa time to struggle with what kind of leader he was going to be, what his purpose in life was, and how he was going to live out that purpose. He talked with his ancestors, and even talked back to his ancestors, challenging their motives and their priorities. He wrestled with how he would provide leadership, not just for himself, his family and Wakanda, but for the whole world. By connecting with his ancestors and what they had done in the past, living by their highest principles, he was able to make choices for himself, rooted and grounded in his culture, his heritage, and in his highest principles.
Now this is a lovely image,
and helpful in some ways, but it’s movie magic and fairy tale, and not very
rooted in reality. Marvel does tend to
be a spectacle of violence and fighting, whether it’s warriors using
unimaginable technologies, or two men slugging it out in a subway. Most of us will never see as Paul puts it, “the
god of this world who blinds our unbelieving minds” as a villain to beat up. And as followers of Christ, we learn that
violence only creates more violence, and peace comes through understanding,
compassion, listening and prayer.
But even more
thought-provoking than the Marvel movie, was how it was made, and the response
that people had to it. Firstly, it was
written and directed by African Americans, the first Marvel movie to do so. Black story telling from the deep
understanding of what it is like to live in our world with a skin tone that is
often perceived as less than, or a reason for discrimination. The story showed two perspectives, the people
in Africa who live in sophisticated cities, and the people in the slums of the
U.S., still suffering from the legacy of slavery.
That movie view of the world
from those two perspectives was so surprising that countries in the Sub-Saharan
nations had a 3 million person rise in tourism the year that the movie was
released! It was nominated for eight
Oscars, some of whom had never had an African American nominee in that
category. People adopted the slogan
‘Wakanda forever’ as an inspiration when they needed the courage to challenge
racism. But even more inspiring was the
example of the lead actor, Chadwich Boseman.
Unbeknownst to any of his fans or his cast members, Chadwich had been
diagnosed with colon cancer the year before shooting Black Panther. When the fan response went wild, he connected
with as many people as he could, to inspire and encourage them in their
struggles. In one interview, he broke
into tears telling of two boys undergoing cancer treatment and how they took
courage from the movie. All that time,
whether it was surprising fans with his presence, or going on talk shows to
respond to the wild enthusiasm that the movie had created, he never said a word
about his cancer, and acted as regally and compassionately as his character,
t’Challa. He was only 43 years old when
cancer ended his life, and that unexpected loss shocked many. If you happen to
see the sequel, “Wakanda Forever”, it is a powerful tribute to grief, to
continuing the vision and dreaming of the future. His legacy of hope continues
to inspire all who knew and saw him.
For us, Jesus is the
one that transforms our lives in ways too surprising to understand. We too have ancestors of our faith, Moses and
Elijah, Peter and James and John. We too
have had mountaintop experiences or near-death encounters that changed and
challenged our priorities. Our Sunday
mornings hopefully are mini mountaintop experiences that inspire and encourage,
empower and include all in the vision that Jesus and Paul had for the world.
May these ancestral visions shine in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God’s transforming vision for the world!
Two videos of Chadwick Boseman and his fans that you might like:
(15) Chadwick Boseman
Surprises Black Panther Fans While They Thank Him - YouTube
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