No Wonder Woman

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27

I watched the 2017 Wonder Woman film last week, and Diana’s wonderous Amazon fighting skills and power were exciting to watch. As with all superhero genre films one has to be mindful not to compare herself or himself the to film’s heroine or hero. Because he or she is a protagonist in a story meant to make the average person marvel. It’s entertainment only. There is only one superhero. Only one God-become-man who was able to fight the ultimate war; He has defeated the final foe and left us an example to follow. Our hero’s example is to love and be full of mercy, forgiveness, and kindness.

During the epic fight portion of the movie, the moment Diana or wonder Woman unleashes her full potential, she defeats the god of war while she quotes her love-interest, Steve Trevor, saying, “It’s not about what humans deserve. It’s about what you believe, and I believe in love.”

This simple quote seems gentle and lowly, but in the scene it was powerful. She had the power to vanquish a major villain, but instead of taking revenge, she chose to show mercy. I love the moral this portrays that showing mercy and choosing love isn’t weakness but great strength. It was Wonder Woman’s choice to protect the humans from the evil force of darkness which gave her the necessary edge to defeat evil.

Wonder Woman was trained as an Amazon warrior. She was beautiful. She was highly intelligent. She was brave and fierce. These are defining characteristics of Diana, but what are most important about her were her beliefs and her actions. On some level, most of us probably wish we would be defined by one or more of these characteristics and be a Wonder Woman ourselves. That’s by the enemy of our soul’s design. We can be a woman of wonder, if we, like Diana-more accurately like Christ-, live out our lives in love. Where fiction and reality diverge is Diana fought one giant battle, and we shall be living a quiet life holding on to a Savior who enables us and compels us to act in love, to show mercy, to be led courageously to make a difference in the darkness one small act of kindness at a time.

As the children’s nursery song goes, “I may never march in the infantry, ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery. I may never shoot for the enemy, but I’m in the Lord’s army!” The world doesn’t need another “superhero”. Our Savior came and conquered thousands of years ago. What the world needs is witnesses to that Savior. One hug here.

One smile there. One small sacrifice yonder. Paying it forward. Investing in others simply because Jesus has changed us.

Like a dark summer’s night, how we wonder at the beauty of lightening bugs, so too does the world marvel at the beauty of Christ’s transforming love embodied in us.

I am no Wonder Woman, but I do humbly pray to be a woman of wonder. One who is clothed with Christ and lives out of love, mercy, and kindness. Like Diana had much to learn, so do I. But like Diana, who grew stronger with revelation, I trust that my faith will grow stronger the more I learn of Christ’s unfailing love.

“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11