Supergirl!

If you’re like me, then you probably spent last night plopped in front of the television enjoying the newest superhero series pilot—Supergirl! (Okay, if you’re really like me, then you downloaded the leaked version and watched it months ago… but regardless).  Supergirl is a fun – if formulaic – superhero drama with an absolutely delightful lead actress. Melissa Benoist truly brings Kara and her alter-ego to life, adding a sense of joy and optimism that we all want to see in a Superman-inspired world.

Being the first female superhero series of its kind, Supergirl is heavy on the girl. From Kara’s no-nonsense boss Cat Grant, to the mysterious villainess pulling all the strings, and, of course, Supergirl herself—all of the strong powerful roles are played by women. Supergirl reminds us that super-women can save the day just as well as super-men!

Christians should take note. Historically, the church hasn’t always been at the forefront of equality. Whatever your views on women’s role in the church, however, we can all agree that the Bible is full of strong, even heroic, women. Miriam not only saved her baby brother Moses, but helped him lead their people out of slavery. Deborah led Israel as both judge and prophetess. Queen Esther risked her life to save her people from extermination. The list, of course, goes on. Similar to Supergirl, the stories of strong, successful women in the Bible should inspire a new generation of women to step up, stand out, and join forces with God—the greatest hero of them all. 

Back to the Future!

So how did you celebrate Back to the Future Day? My wife and I stopped by the video store and attempted to rent Back to the Future 2 this afternoon, but alas they had just given away their last copy. In the now classic movie, Marty McFly travels thirty years into the future to today - October 21, 2015. All week long leading up to this historic movie moment, friends flooded my Facebook newsfeed with complaints about unfulfilled expectations. 2015 didn't exactly live up to the technological advances Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis envisioned. We don't have flying cars, bio-fuel or hoverboards. Back to the Future turned out less prophetic than we may have hoped.

I wonder if some people worry that the same will be true of the Bible. The last book of the Bible predicts a day when Heaven and Earth will be one--God will wipe every tear from our eyes, there will be no more pain, or sorrow, or death. The return of Jesus will herald the last day of evil. Believers will be resurrected and reunited with lost loved ones. Heaven, it seems, will be the perfect place for people made perfect.

Honestly, it sounds too good to be true. Kind of like flying cars and hoverboards. The difference, however, is in the author. Steven Spielberg offered his best guess of what the future would be like; but as the eternal omniscient God, Jesus knows our yesterdays, our todays, as well as our tomorrows. He schedules and plans our past, present and future. As the old saying goes, "We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future!"