I love superhero movies. Love. Adore. They truly are my favorite movie genre, right up there with the epic (Lord of the Rings still gives me goose bumps).

Why, you might ask, do I love them so much?

Recently I found myself pondering this very issue. There was a new romantic comedy being released that several of my friends really wanted to see—and I didn’t. Not that there’s anything wrong with those types of movies, but they just don’t interest me the way a good action/adventure does, with some good pyrotechnics, gravity (and death) defying feats and the occasional costume.

As I sat watching The Avengers earlier this summer, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

The beauty of the superhero is the secret of the superhero.

It’s like this.

Remember Clark Kent? Mild mannered, regular Joe of a guy; a bit bungling at times, awkward, a little odd. But when faced with evil, out comes the alter ego—the one with the power, the one who can right the wrongs of the world: Superman.

Fashion sense notwithstanding (c’mon; it’s 2012; can Superman please put his Underoos underneath his tights??), when the need arises, a superhuman strength appears. Bravery, confidence—and a power outside the normal parameters.

Those around the superheroes don’t know they’re there; they interact with the mild-mannered cover personality, often overlooking them or brushing them off (think Lois Lane). Unbeknownst to the world at large, these characters infiltrate the culture around them, seeking to change it from within.

We humans are triune beings, made up of spirit, soul and body. Two of those we can readily see and access: obviously, you can see my physical body. The soul is that which makes us us; to put it simply, our mind, will and emotions. But there’s more to us than that.

We are spiritual beings. Designed in the image of God, we are built to be containers for and conduits of His presence, and our spirit is the place where that happens. This is the place where we meet with God, experience Him, interact with Him. This is the place Paul is talking about in Ephesians, where he prays that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18).

Most of the time, this part of our self goes unnoticed. We interact with the world around us based on our physical bodies or our personalities, and we filter what we see and hear through those alone, making decisions and passing judgments based on 2/3 of our true selves. And we interact with the world, based upon the assumption that all we can see is all there is.

Yes, I know we think the right thoughts. We say the right words. We affirm the right doctrine, that there actually is another realm. But do we act that way? Do we really, in responding to people around us or the issues of the day, act as if there’s more to things than we can see?

But there is—there’s more. More to us. More to the world. More than our eyes can see, our hands can touch, and more than our minds can fathom.

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” He wasn’t referring to a political kingdom, much to the dismay of some of His disciples. He was referring to the fact that through Him, the breach between Heaven and Earth that had been created by the fall of man back in Genesis had been healed, and we now have access to what we couldn’t access before.

We have full access to the Kingdom of God.

We have access to a Kingdom where there will be no more tears. No more sickness. No more death. Where there is an unlimited supply of righteousness, peace and joy; and where love is always, without exception, the deciding factor in any situation.

A Kingdom where healing, freedom and provision are at our disposal. There is no lack in Heaven. No captives. No sickness. No poverty. No oppression. None. And this Kingdom is the one we were brought into the minute He saved us.

I bring Heaven to Earth, wherever I go, wherever I am. Filled with His Spirit and therefore His power, I am a conduit, designed to continue His work of bridging the gap.

Just like Superman, we have a power resident within us that can operate outside of the “norm,” or the usual way of doing things. We, in our garb as teachers, fireman, construction workers, attorneys, etc., walk the earth as representatives of another realm, one that has the power to change everything.

Everything.

We are meant to be agents of change, to infiltrate the world around us with His love, peace, joy and righteousness. We are called to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, partnering with God to restore broken creation to His original design.

You are more than you seem. Those around you may often wonder what it is about you that’s so different. They might question how, in the face of trying circumstances or tragedy, you exude such peace. They may hear your infectious belly laughter and wonder where you get such joy.

What if sick people got healed, just because you laid hands on them? What if those in bondage around you got freer, just through hanging out with you? What if the world, the world that needs Him so badly, got introduced to the love of Jesus—through you? It’s possible, you know. In fact, it’s who you are. Just like Superman, there is a time for your true identity to be revealed, for the supernatural power resident within you through the Holy Spirit to bust out on the scene. Once that begins to happen, nothing will ever be the same.

You are a carrier of the Holy Spirit and the power He gives you. You are meant to bring the Kingdom wherever you go.

So go. Do it. But please, put your underwear inside your tights.

Nancy Smith

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