Hey Spidy!

Hey Spidy !
if you are a huge movie goer like me then you know that this weekend marks the release of the much anticipated Spiderman 3 . . . it also launches us into a summer filled with blockbuster sequels (i.e. Shrek, harry potter, pirates, Bourne ultimatum)

so after realizing that I will be spending most of my “fun” money for the summer on going to the theaters, I figured I would share with you my thoughts about the movies that I do end up seeing.

Overall review .::. Spiderman 3 presents all the things we love about the Spiderman movies. The triumphant hero, the indestructible baddies, the unreal actions sequences, and of course the ultimate power of love to overcome all odds; all of these things are present. The focus of the battle within is a very strong element in this film which is different. It is something that resonates with anyone in any walk of life, and is a very strong piece of this film. Something that I loved which was added to this film was the “overtopness” which is seen through peter parker’s interaction with the alien symbiotic substance. I don’t want to give it away, but you will know what I am talking about when you see it. I’m glad they put it in the film; it gave it a more comic book feel. Bottom Line – Spiderman 3 was awesome! You should see it! and it got me thinking a lot about life and God . . . here is some of my thoughts about that

So the sub-title of Spiderman 3 was “the battle within” – a simple version of the plot being that a strange alien substance finds peter parker and bonds with him, and it amplifies parts of peter’s personality (only it’s the bad parts) so peter is faced throughout the film with different tough situations. Sometimes he chooses to be Spiderman and other times he chooses to be the black suited Spiderman.

There are some huge similarities between peter’s struggle and the struggle that we all face every day. If you are a Christian, then we deal and talk about this a lot. But if you are not, that doesn’t change anything because we all have a battle raging inside of us.

For the most part people are good. (I personally believe people who aren’t good, don’t have control mentally or have already lost the battle within) But the problem with our lives is that even though we are good, and mean well; there is a battle going on inside of us.

Some people call this the battle between good and evil, some call it the yin & the yang, it has many different names and is viewed in many different ways by all kinds of people.

The basics of this battle are this . . .

we want to be good people

we want to do good things

we don’t want to hurt others

we want to do what is best

but we are selfish

and we don’t always choose what right

sometimes we don’t realize what we have done until it’s over

we make mistakes and bad choices

bottom line .::. We want to do what is right, but we can’t

there was this guy named Paul who wrote about this dilemma, I think what he has to say is really powerful, because this problem is one that we all deal with, and I know I need a solution to this issue. Here is what he writes:

"I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

(romans 7:14-8:2 the message)

The reality is that the battle within never goes away entirely. There has been and always will be a battle for your heart. That’s why we talk about guarding our heart, because it is the wellspring of life. (It Came From Within). But Paul says, that God already took care of this problem for us. He sent Jesus to die on a cross, and take away our sins. (no matter how many times I say that, it just amazes me, that God would do that for me) He took away this black cloud from our lives.

I find it very interesting that Spiderman’s alter-ego wears a black Spiderman suit. The movie clearly present’s two different personalities. There is good Spiderman, and bad Spiderman.
The climax of the movie comes when Mary Jane asks Peter: “Who are you?” and peter responds “I don’t know anymore.”

And isn’t that the question “who am I”

Am I someone who chooses good or someone who chooses evil ?

This question should push us to make the choices that we need to make, even if they are tough choices, because sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same (the fray)
Jesus has taken away the ultimate consequence of sin (death) for those who choose to follow him. But that doesn’t take away our responsibility to make good choices now. It only makes the choices we make every day more important.

Don’t lose the battle that is raging within. Do the hard things, stay away from the things, or people that influence you to make bad choices. And take your responsibility seriously.
At the end of the movie, peter says . . .what makes a person is the choices that they make. And everyone has the choice to do what is right

Do what’s right

Fight for the heart of your king.

-dev