What the latest Avengers movie can teach us about patience
A couple of weeks ago, the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hit theaters. Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of ten years of movies that began with Iron Man in 2008. For those who are not fans of superheroes and comic books, the Avengers is a team comprised of “Earth’s mightiest heroes” who come together to defend the planet from threats both terrestrial and extraterrestrial. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Spider Man, Dr. Strange, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, War Machine, Falcon and the Black Panther combine their considerable talent and skill to fight the villains that would crush those without super powers.
In Infinity War, the Avengers square off against Thanos, one of the most powerful villains in the galaxy, who is bent on gathering the Infinity Stones and then using them to eradicate half of the universe’s population. From the far reaches of space, to New York City, to the continent of Africa, the Avengers fight to stem the tide of Thanos’ invasion. The movie ends on a cliffhanger and it seems that Thanos (the bad guy) has won the day. Our heroes seem defeated and the forces of evil look ascendant.
After the credits rolled and Marvel gave us the usual post-credit trailer, movie goers silently filed out of the theater and were unsure of what to make of what they had just seen. In all respects, it was an excellent movie but it was a hard one to watch. The good guys didn’t win. Our heroes were vanquished. The good news is that Infinity War is the first of two parts of this chapter in the Avenger’s story. We will get to see if our heroes can reverse their fortunes and defeat Thanos when the next Avengers movie hits theaters next May. The bad news is that we have to wait a year to see what will happen. A whole year!
As I walked out of the theater, I remember feeling the same way back in May 21, 1980 when I went to see Episode 5 of Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back. That movie ended with our hero, Luke Skywalker, defeated by Darth Vader after having learned that the villain was actually his father. The Empire had nearly defeated the struggling Rebel Alliance and everyone’s favorite smuggler-turned hero, Han Solo, was captured by the ruthless bounty hunter Boba Fett. There were so many unanswered questions at the end of that movie and I had to wait three years until Star Wars Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi debuted and I could find out the fate of my favorite characters. Three years!
It about killed me to wait three years to see Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance defeat the evil Galactic Empire and it’s killing me to wait until next May to see if earth’s mightiest heroes can defeat Thanos and somehow undo the terrible destruction that he wrought. Of course, it is hard to be patient when you’re invested in characters and stories like these. However, there is no other choice. The directors and producers will release the movie when it is done. Until then we have to wait.
The pastoral side of me, realizes that this period of waiting is an opportunity to develop my capacity for patience, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit described by Paul in Galatians 5:22. God’s ways are not our ways. God acts in God’s own time. Sometimes God waits to answer our prayers and sometimes we don’t receive the answer for which we hope. We want to know when God will hear our cries for help. We want to know that the results of the biopsy will be OK. We want to know if the surgery will go well. We want to know if God will bring peace to our troubled world. We want to know that things will be OK. And because God is not our genie in a bottle, we have to wait until God reveals his plans. This brings us back to the need for patience. The good news is that God does not leave us alone in our waiting. God is present through it all, even when we don’t feel that presence. God also sends the Spirit to create within us patience. As Paul writes in Galatians, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
It is a good thing that God helps us in this way, because it is not my nature to be patient. I want to know if the Avengers will defeat Thanos. I want to know if our church’s strategic plan will bear the fruit we hope it will. I want to know so many things - right now. But I must wait. And in the meanwhile I am counting the Spirit of God to bring me the fruit of patience.
Grace and Peace,
John