Saving the World starts at home: Spiritual ministering begins at home
(P.S. This is not a series promoting blog content but you
may watch the series if you want more magnifying understanding of this article)
Superman & Lois is currently
ongoing fascinating Arrow verse series. It is less of a thrilling Superhero
genre but more of an awareness series on responsibility towards family and how
the service begins from the family. Perhaps there are very less people in this
world who doesn’t know this fictional DC character. Superman has been one of
the most popular Superhero with fascinating Superhuman powers that he uses to
serve the world.
This series has been brilliantly
scripted and frame worked which teaches us to be responsible towards our
family. Superman, regardless of being the most powerful hero in his universe,
gets troubles in managing time with family, raising his two teenage boys and
coping with challenges of personal life. His two sons even blame him that he failed
to be a good father and a good husband. He gets a lot of stress in controlling
family environment and rearing teenage sons. However, he always tries best to
be a good father to them.
When the younger son is found to
inherit the powers of Kryptonian and he gets through practical challenges in
controlling his powers, Clark aka Superman makes commitment to serve him, to
help him and to train him. Clark has always given his top priority to save the
world but now he realizes that he needs to give the same priority to his own
family. He trains his son against all the challenges he faces. He teaches him
discipline of being a Superhero with his own life experiences. He also makes
his son realizes that he wasn’t yet ready to have a role of Superhero. However,
his grandfather who is in US Army secretly trains the son for future back-up while
the elder son cheats himself using unusual alternative methods to gain Kryptonian
powers and uses them for his own merit.
This series is more about a family.
It has true reality of our everyday life barriers. No matter what, even a great
Superhero like Superman has to bear the burden of rearing his family. His
powers are of no relevant except his love, care, nourishment, responsibility,
concern and faithfulness dedicated towards his family. Lois and two sons don’t need
Superman every time but they need a good husband, they need a good father. This
series also has a good set-up that even being a most powerful superhero, Clark
fails to save the world without company of other mechanically equipped friends
from another earth or universe whose costumes makes you feel you are watching
Thor and Iron man at the same time and Superman needs them to serve the world against
every kinds of fearsome villains.
The series has emotional scenes,
tragedy, depression, anxiety, love, romance, divorce, sacrifices, failure,
victory and every aspect that a family goes through. Clark’s younger son gets
broken up with his crush just because he couldn’t share his secret of having
powers and fails to give her time. The elder son gets addicted with achieving the
powers that he doesn’t inherit and brings trouble in the family. Lois feels
messed up in the family and yet she is faithful to her husband and never gives
up. Her grandfather always gets ready to assist no matter what steps he takes
to serve his family. Other two members from another universe with an aim to
kill Superman realizes the world isn’t their and later gets into company with
Superman and assist him whenever he needs them. Finally, Superman, as always
expected, doesn’t care his own life for sake of serving others. It shows his
dedication and commitment.
We can learn so much about family
responsibilities, need of dedicated service, commitment, friendly company, serving
in unity, taking wise steps with planning, managing the family, necessity of
discipline and training, need of hope, need of sacrifices, need of suggestions,
humility, and heart of loving others from this series. Hence, the slogan is Saving the World starts
at home.
Now, this is exactly the model in
our practical Christian living and service either. Are we too busy with our
ministry that we forget our responsibility towards family? If we cannot manage
our family or be responsible towards our family, how can we think of being
responsible towards church and ministry? (1 Tim. 3:5) It isn’t about just
pastors, elders, deacons, deaconess, bishops or other offices but everyone. The
church is also our family but we must learn to handle our family first.
There is absolutely No guarantee
that sons or daughters of ministers might have a good life testimony. This is
bitter reality. This was also the case with William Carey.[i] It is true that we need to
get ready to serve after responding to calling but this doesn’t mean we should
be irresponsible towards our family. The Word of God doesn’t teach to reject
family, hate them and start your fresh isolated life. In contrary, it teaches
to love God and put him at priority of your life and love everyone as we love
ourselves. He calls us to be a servant.
“As he was telling me about the
great success of his ministry to children, I asked him, ‘How much time do you
spend with your own children?’ He replied, ‘Oh, I don’t have time for that, but
they have to understand that this is my ministry.’” (Roger Palm 39, 1981)
“Spiritual leadership begins at
home. In dealing with the family, remember that you have been blessed by the
Lord, not beatified. Don’t expect them to stop asking you to take out the
garbage.” (Paul Carlson)
We must remind ourselves that Family
is not apart from our ministry; it is a part of our ministry. It should be our
top priority. Don’t fall for the “1. God 2. Family 3. Church” priorities or the
quality versus quantity mirage. They don’t deal with reality.[ii] God is to be in priority
not in sense of ordering but essence of life. He manages our life. He doesn’t fit
in our order and allocations. He wants us to be responsible in our family first
and then in ministry.
Thank
you!
[i]
From Criticism of Carey, Church History note. There is no intention to demean
his character or contributions.
[ii]
From the note of Pastoral Theology: Session 3 Family Life of the Pastor –
Shepherd at Home & The Body and Its Leaders – Making the Team Work