I am a cheap movie watcher.  By that I mean that a movie has to be really great for me to go see it in the theater.  All Star Wars, Hunger Games and a few others will get me to lay down the $20 to see the movie.  $20 you are thinking?  Well you can’t go to a movie without popcorn and the drink you smuggle in your pocket.  That being said, and totally not what this blog is about, I better get to it before you quit reading.

I just watched Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.  I watched it on my computer and it was a great movie.  It didn’t have enough juice to get me to invest an afternoon and $20 but I did watch it because who doesn’t want to see them fight.  Okay, okay let me get to it.  They fight, Batman uses some Kryptonite to weaken Superman.  He is actually ready to plunge a spear of Kryptonite into his chest and kill him.  Then Superman says this:, “Save Martha.”  Batman is shocked that he would say that because his own mother is named Martha and was murdered when he was a kid.  (Seriously, do you not know Batman’s story?  Do I have to explain it all?)  Superman tells him that Luther is going to kill his mom, Martha, if he doesn’t kill him.  All of the sudden Batman can’t kill Superman.  Their moms have the same name.  Holy crap, it is like a movie.  You comic book people can tell me if this is totally made up, like the whole rest of the stories aren’t.  Anyway, Batman promises Superman he will save his mom and then they go save the world from some evil monster.

By now you’re thinking what the heck is the point Toby?  Well, this.  Once the two super heroes find some common ground that connects them they can put aside the whole destroying each other stuff.  I just wonder is there something we all can find in common that will help us stop trying to destroy each other.  I was thinking of a few things.  Thought we might look at a few of them.

We are human.  First, and foremost we are created in God’s image.  Look at us. Two eye, two ear, one nose, one mouth and so many other thing in common.  Being human means the struggle is real for all of us no matter what we face.  We all face the same struggles, just in different ways.  We all are part of a universal, Godly design.

We are all facing struggles.  We need to realize that no matter who you look in the eyes they are fighting a fight.  Go easy on judging and writing off people.  We don’t know the courage it took for them to climb out of bed that morning.  You have no idea what they faced on the way to where you intersected.

God is with us.  Crazy to think that God is for everyone.  I mean don’t we often think that God has to be against “them.”  You know “them”.  The ones who are different, they don’t look like us, they don’t act like us, they are from a different place.  Heck, they don’t even pray like us.  And, yet God is with them.  He loves them as much as He loves us.  Christ died for all people.  God loved the whole world.  Not just the ones we wanted.  So get over it and realize that He loves them and wants a relationship with them too.

So…what do we do?

Love no matter what.

Offer hope.

Volunteer your time to serve others.

Encourage them to keep going.