Save One!

Now that Justice League is available to stream online, I enjoyed watching it again from the comfort of my living room. While it suffered from a garden-variety villain and a somewhat disjointed story due to multiple directors with very different visions, I believe Justice League was still a step in the right direction for the DC cinematic universe.

As I mentioned in a prior post, this film is much brighter and more hopeful than DC’s previous films, like Man of Steel or Dawn of Justice. One scene in particular ought to resonate and inspire Christians who fear sharing their faith.

Socially awkward and short on friends, the Flash, played by Ezra Miller, eagerly joins the Justice League when Batman extends the invitation. But when it comes time to battle the bad guys and save the civilians… he freezes. Turning to Batman, he explains, “Here’s the thing. See, I’m afraid of bugs, and guns, and obnoxiously tall people. I can’t be here! It’s really cool you guys seem ready to do battle and stuff, but I’ve never done battle. I’ve just pushed some people and run away!”

Batman responds with two simple words: “Save one."

The Flash: What?
Batman: Save one person.
The Flash: Which one?
Batman: Don’t talk. Don’t fight. Get in. Get one out.
The Flash: And then?
Batman: You’ll know.

In one of the most inspiring moments of the movie, Batman offers advice that both novice superheroes and new Christians should take to heart.

Jesus said of himself, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT). He then passed that mission onto us, instructing believers, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT).

Saving souls—sharing Jesus with another person—can be a daunting task. Maybe you’re just not an extroverted person. Neither am I. Maybe you don’t know what you’re supposed to say or how to broach the subject. And, of course, there is always the fear of rejection: What if they’re offended? What if it turns into an argument? What if I ruin an otherwise perfectly good friendship? The very idea of carrying on Jesus’ mission to “save the world” is pretty intimidating.

Batman’s advice to the Flash, is my advice to you: “Save one!” That means sharing your faith with one lost, broken, hurting soul at a time. And after you reach just one person with the Gospel of Jesus, just like the Flash, “You’ll know.” You aren’t called to save the world, just the life of one person at a time. Who’s that person for you right now? Get in! Get one out! Save one!