Civil War: Captain America 3

I was so captivated by the new Captain America movie because it is such a great love story. If you’re still reading, you probably think I am crazy, or are wracking your brain trying to  determine whether a random blond was worth writing a blog about. Have no fear, that’s not what I mean at all.

The entire plot revolves again and again around vengeance. Several different characters resolve to get back at someone who they blame for a family member’s death. And as the heat rises between Captain and Iron Man about a contract limiting the Avenger’s abilities, you can really settle into the awesome effects and fight scenes and forget the entire plot.

*Spoiler alert. But the plot is a truly genius and beautiful one when it all gets tied up. Obviously, the entire movie Civil War was going to put Iron Man against Captain America in a truly epic battle of superhero favorites. But for me, when the actual scene came, though truly visually awesome, it made me cringe. Because of one man’s anger and vengeance, he was literally ready to kill one of his best friends. It’s a truly terrifying realization what our anger can change us into.

But when I watched the movie again I realized something even more incredible- Captain America fought back. Obviously, you may say, but think about it- He didn’t sit idly by and watch the anger. He didn’t stand by and let Tony beat him to a pulp to “get it all out”. In fact, he fought even harder and more determined than he normally does. And when the scene finally ended and he left his shield there I realized he wasn’t fighting to win, wasn’t fighting for his friend, wasn’t fighting to prove himself. He was fighting Tony in order to save Tony. Only love can drive that kind of passion to wound someone worth fighting for. Have you ever loved someone enough to beat them up to keep them from making a bigger mistake in their anger? I never have. But the story of Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:25) and the last five years of my life are a testament that God will fight someone. Will keep coming, keep stopping you, keep breaking you, keep attacking you, keep pummeling you until you get to the point where the pain, fear, and anger in your life stops warping you into something you were never meant to be. He does things in our lives that aren’t always pretty, so we get to move on to something more.

Far too often in movies, Jesus is portrayed as the soft, kind, sweet man that never raised his voice and weakly lived a life like a coward would. But the more I learn about him, I realize he’s much more like Captain America- willing to fight, break down, tear up, and lay out anything getting in the way of knowing him- including his own life. And though that’s something we don’t usually see or even realize- that’s truly an incredible type of love.

More than that, that is the type of love we are meant to show to those around us. Love in your life, in your workplace doesn’t have to look like cupcakes with heart-shaped sprinkles. Sometimes it looks like honesty, sometimes like sacrifice, sometimes like helping someone not be destroyed by themselves. What is it going to look like for you?

 

John 15:13- Greater love have no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.