oleh Juan Mahaganti pada 01 Oktober 2009 jam 17:58
Why we need superheroes? I think the main reason is because our discomfort of reality. Our daily life is full with limitations and annoying condition. That is why we need imagination as refreshment, just like when we dreamed about a girl we desire to hang out with, or the excitement of new video game console. Superheroes, for millions are a great refreshment of this unwanted reality. We are limited by nature, we cannot fly as bird, can’t dangle like spider, can’t be as strong as a bull, but our imagination amuse us with the image of superheroes. I think the ultimate natural reality, added with our desire about what a world “should” be, juxtaposed with our dissatisfaction about how the world is going, those are the reason for us to create superheroes. And now here we are, millions of human being, imagining what a wonderful world will be if Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Gilgamesh, or X-Men (or Nietzsche’s Ubermensch :), really exist.
Since the dawn of civilization, to create a hero had been our hobby. We created ancient Mesopotamian’s Gilgamesh, Greek’s Achilles and Hercules, Gatot Kaca, or their modern colleague like Superman, all are to satisfy our imagination for a person that maybe can bring us a better world. But I can classify all this imagination as, hmmm, maybe childish or teenagers’ dream. Yeah, a child always sees the world in a very simple way. A villain prevails, but not forever because a hero emerge and beat him, end of story, everybody live happily ever after. Yeah, simple, so simple. But is the world as simple as this? Is the real battle in this world can only be pictured by a story of conflict between Superman Vs. Lex Luthor, or Batman Vs. Joker? Or Human Vs. mutant, and when the battle is over, everything will become normal? The answer is; no. The world is not that simple. Latter attempt by movie maker to make the story more complicated by making the heroes more humane (look at the newest superhero movies), but I think this effort is useless. Okay, until this part I want to remind you dear reader. Further reading of this note can change the way you think about superheroes. If you don’t want to ruin your superheroes imagination, I suggest you to go away from this note!
Hmmm, okay, I’ve reminded you, but it seems you are great enough to embrace the truth. But don’t get mad at me if someday you’ll find yourself not fully entertained by some superheroes story (It has happened with me). Okay, let’s go on. The real live for sure is far different with the superheroes world. And the real world problem can’t be solved only by superheroes, because the real world problem is not just the criminal villain, it’s more than that. The world main problem is evil in our heart. And it can’t be solved only by heroes. If you don’t believe me and you need second opinion, (I will give you third opinion, namely; the Bible) go now watch this great movie, I think the best movie of the year, “Watchmen.” Rarely you’ll find a movie, which is for you to enjoy it, you need a good historical knowledge as well as philosophical familiarity, plus great story, great action, great visual effect, and great songs!! And “Watchmen” bind it all in a very great way, what else can you ask? (but I remind all of you, the movie is not for the children eye. If you are a responsible grown up, don’t let any children to watch it.) So much I can praise about this movie and it can take one separate note to do that, but this movie is G R E A T!!!!
The story is about two groups of superheroes that help human being to solve their problem. First groups called “Watchmen” work around 1940s and help U.S. (in this alternate history) win WW 2. After the WW 2, they went into retirement, they got married, some get the work for government, some went insane, and some get murdered. But, the world problem was still there. Future ahead never seems brighter, but dimmer. War and oppression still the part of our live. Then, one superhero comes into scene. Some said he’s not just Superman, but a God. They called him Mr. Manhattan. Together with other new superheroes they form another group called “Minutemen”. But what happened? The problem is not gone, it even mounting, and the world is going worse. With the threat of Cold War turn heat, Vietnam war, and corrupt government. The movie then move further with a visionary former Hero Ozymandias, who trying to look for another way to solve the problem, by creating a renewable energy that will end the war. But the real intention of Ozymandias remain secret even by seems all knowing Dr. Manhattan. At the end of the movie, Ozy’s project ended successfully but costing millions of humans’ life. But the world finally finds the peace she is longing. And the irony is, the peace created by lie. But Peace, yeah, world peace, the reason for heroes existence. For the world peace, they need to keep lies, millions of humans’ live and lot’s of sacrifice, so much for a peace, and no guarantee that the peace will remain forever.
From the movie you see two group of desperate heroes that barely achieved nothing. That’s why Ozimandias desperately take the most extreme measure to handle the situation. But even so, world problem will never be ended.
Where is the root of the problem actually? Rorschach (one of the hero) have the answer, he stated it when for the first time he encountered with the real human atrocity: “God did not create us to be like this, we are the one.” Yeah, even if we have thousand of heroes, world problem will never end, as long we didn’t pull the very source of the world’s problem : our tendency toward sin. Oh, yeah, actually in the movie, they have the all knowing, all powerful Dr. Manhattan. But in all the suffering, In desperate, the Comedian (one of the hero) tell this to Dr. Manhattan : “you watched me, you could have turned the gun to steam, the bullets to mercury... the bottle into goddamn snowflakes, but you didn't, did you? You really don't give a damn about human beings. You are drifting out of touch... God help us all.” Yeah, Dr. Manhattan can change everything, danger to friendly material, but problem of humanity will always be there, why? Because the root of the problem haven’t been changed: HUMAN’S HEART.
But don’t be desperate like Ozymandiaz, I have a good news for you, yeah, ALL OF YOU!!! That we actually have a hero! Yeah!!! THE REAL SUPER HERO!! For your info, Manado International School proudly present for this semester’s week of prayer, with Pr. Lauda Woy, M.Div as the speaker and theme: JESUS is My Hero!!!! It will be next week (October 5 – 9, 2009) guys!!! You won’t miss it!!! But if you are curious about this hero, let me give you a little info about him…
JESUS IS MY SUPERHERO!!
Instead of elevating human power into something unnatural, this hero, leave His glory and choose to be humble by becoming human being. Yeah, he perform miracle, he did great thing, but at the same time
Become so humble. He didn’t come with some kind of super power, because he knows that great super power is not the solution for human misery. He knows that the root of the problem is in our human moral, and there he come to transform, TOTALLY!! Our moral standard. He know that the greatest longing of human being is the total reconciliation with the Almighty, so there he is, render Himself as a sacrifice for our sin, so by his resurrection, we get a hope to begin a new life in him, and when He will come for the second time he prepare a place for us, there with Him in heaven. And yes, he renews totally human civilization. He brings the cruel empire to the ground, he change the life of billions, and you know, as His disciple testify; “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (Joh 21:25)
If Ozymandias sacrifice life of millions for his dream of utopia, Jesus sacrifice Himself for our sin. For total Shalom with Father in heaven. Jesus!!! Gives meaning to life, like none other ever provide. He gives the solution to human misery, no one ever able to do before! If you can imagine a world with Superman or Batman, I told you, I can’t imagine how cruel, miserable, unhappy, hopeless and helpless world will be without a person of Jesus. And I proudly say; He is my hero, my personal hero!
Since the dawn of civilization, to create a hero had been our hobby. We created ancient Mesopotamian’s Gilgamesh, Greek’s Achilles and Hercules, Gatot Kaca, or their modern colleague like Superman, all are to satisfy our imagination for a person that maybe can bring us a better world. But I can classify all this imagination as, hmmm, maybe childish or teenagers’ dream. Yeah, a child always sees the world in a very simple way. A villain prevails, but not forever because a hero emerge and beat him, end of story, everybody live happily ever after. Yeah, simple, so simple. But is the world as simple as this? Is the real battle in this world can only be pictured by a story of conflict between Superman Vs. Lex Luthor, or Batman Vs. Joker? Or Human Vs. mutant, and when the battle is over, everything will become normal? The answer is; no. The world is not that simple. Latter attempt by movie maker to make the story more complicated by making the heroes more humane (look at the newest superhero movies), but I think this effort is useless. Okay, until this part I want to remind you dear reader. Further reading of this note can change the way you think about superheroes. If you don’t want to ruin your superheroes imagination, I suggest you to go away from this note!
Hmmm, okay, I’ve reminded you, but it seems you are great enough to embrace the truth. But don’t get mad at me if someday you’ll find yourself not fully entertained by some superheroes story (It has happened with me). Okay, let’s go on. The real live for sure is far different with the superheroes world. And the real world problem can’t be solved only by superheroes, because the real world problem is not just the criminal villain, it’s more than that. The world main problem is evil in our heart. And it can’t be solved only by heroes. If you don’t believe me and you need second opinion, (I will give you third opinion, namely; the Bible) go now watch this great movie, I think the best movie of the year, “Watchmen.” Rarely you’ll find a movie, which is for you to enjoy it, you need a good historical knowledge as well as philosophical familiarity, plus great story, great action, great visual effect, and great songs!! And “Watchmen” bind it all in a very great way, what else can you ask? (but I remind all of you, the movie is not for the children eye. If you are a responsible grown up, don’t let any children to watch it.) So much I can praise about this movie and it can take one separate note to do that, but this movie is G R E A T!!!!
The story is about two groups of superheroes that help human being to solve their problem. First groups called “Watchmen” work around 1940s and help U.S. (in this alternate history) win WW 2. After the WW 2, they went into retirement, they got married, some get the work for government, some went insane, and some get murdered. But, the world problem was still there. Future ahead never seems brighter, but dimmer. War and oppression still the part of our live. Then, one superhero comes into scene. Some said he’s not just Superman, but a God. They called him Mr. Manhattan. Together with other new superheroes they form another group called “Minutemen”. But what happened? The problem is not gone, it even mounting, and the world is going worse. With the threat of Cold War turn heat, Vietnam war, and corrupt government. The movie then move further with a visionary former Hero Ozymandias, who trying to look for another way to solve the problem, by creating a renewable energy that will end the war. But the real intention of Ozymandias remain secret even by seems all knowing Dr. Manhattan. At the end of the movie, Ozy’s project ended successfully but costing millions of humans’ life. But the world finally finds the peace she is longing. And the irony is, the peace created by lie. But Peace, yeah, world peace, the reason for heroes existence. For the world peace, they need to keep lies, millions of humans’ live and lot’s of sacrifice, so much for a peace, and no guarantee that the peace will remain forever.
From the movie you see two group of desperate heroes that barely achieved nothing. That’s why Ozimandias desperately take the most extreme measure to handle the situation. But even so, world problem will never be ended.
Where is the root of the problem actually? Rorschach (one of the hero) have the answer, he stated it when for the first time he encountered with the real human atrocity: “God did not create us to be like this, we are the one.” Yeah, even if we have thousand of heroes, world problem will never end, as long we didn’t pull the very source of the world’s problem : our tendency toward sin. Oh, yeah, actually in the movie, they have the all knowing, all powerful Dr. Manhattan. But in all the suffering, In desperate, the Comedian (one of the hero) tell this to Dr. Manhattan : “you watched me, you could have turned the gun to steam, the bullets to mercury... the bottle into goddamn snowflakes, but you didn't, did you? You really don't give a damn about human beings. You are drifting out of touch... God help us all.” Yeah, Dr. Manhattan can change everything, danger to friendly material, but problem of humanity will always be there, why? Because the root of the problem haven’t been changed: HUMAN’S HEART.
But don’t be desperate like Ozymandiaz, I have a good news for you, yeah, ALL OF YOU!!! That we actually have a hero! Yeah!!! THE REAL SUPER HERO!! For your info, Manado International School proudly present for this semester’s week of prayer, with Pr. Lauda Woy, M.Div as the speaker and theme: JESUS is My Hero!!!! It will be next week (October 5 – 9, 2009) guys!!! You won’t miss it!!! But if you are curious about this hero, let me give you a little info about him…
JESUS IS MY SUPERHERO!!
Instead of elevating human power into something unnatural, this hero, leave His glory and choose to be humble by becoming human being. Yeah, he perform miracle, he did great thing, but at the same time
Become so humble. He didn’t come with some kind of super power, because he knows that great super power is not the solution for human misery. He knows that the root of the problem is in our human moral, and there he come to transform, TOTALLY!! Our moral standard. He know that the greatest longing of human being is the total reconciliation with the Almighty, so there he is, render Himself as a sacrifice for our sin, so by his resurrection, we get a hope to begin a new life in him, and when He will come for the second time he prepare a place for us, there with Him in heaven. And yes, he renews totally human civilization. He brings the cruel empire to the ground, he change the life of billions, and you know, as His disciple testify; “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (Joh 21:25)
If Ozymandias sacrifice life of millions for his dream of utopia, Jesus sacrifice Himself for our sin. For total Shalom with Father in heaven. Jesus!!! Gives meaning to life, like none other ever provide. He gives the solution to human misery, no one ever able to do before! If you can imagine a world with Superman or Batman, I told you, I can’t imagine how cruel, miserable, unhappy, hopeless and helpless world will be without a person of Jesus. And I proudly say; He is my hero, my personal hero!
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