Superheroes & Faith

SO I am reading Deepak & Gotham Chopra‘s Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes and it got me thinking, why? I have been a comic book geek almost my whole life, each of these great mythologies though do contain lessons for the average leader, and the world if you will.

So here is a short list of some of the superheroes I read growing up, and what I learned from each one:

Batman – Bruce Wayne, the easy one of over coming grief with a calling. But even more deeply is the importance of disciplines in life, doing those things that connect you to the deeper self within, the divine self is not a once a week, one hour a week event, but a daily refresher.

Superman – Clark Kent, it’s kind of the dynamic of holy/secular together. All powerful, yet in two of the most powerful stories of his “Peace of Earth” and another dealing with domestic violence, it became evident that not even all of Superman’s powers could solve world hunger, or save an abused woman, what was needed was the humility to pool resources and work together in authentic community, to truly care for one another.  Superman’s greatest story is not his amazing powers, it is his amazing ability to point humanity to the best within us to transform our world.

Wonder Woman – sent from Themyscria as an ambassador of the Amazon’s to man’s world, an envoy of peace with a warrior’s training and heart proves that pacifism is not about non-violence, it is about having the strength to stand on your convictions and beliefs. The inclusivity of all creation, and that love, wisdom and truth do make a difference in the world.

Green Arrow – A pain in the ass Socialist who wants society to be better, a modern day Robin Hood who prowls the streets seeking out ways to aid people, takes a divine being with Green Lantern on a tour across America to discover what it means to be human. He is the voice of the voiceless and empowering, he lived the wealthy life, lost everything, and still discovered meaning in helping those in need.

Spider-Man – With Great Power comes great responsibility. Spidey has the worst luck of any super hero, but truly illustrates what humility means, think of it, he time and agains saves a city that hates him, yet he continues to do it, that is the true meaning of good, doing it because it makes the world better, not because of hero worship or accolades.

These are just a few, will right about other characters that have inspired my life later.

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