Post by Cary Friedman on Aug 7, 2007 19:30:41 GMT -5
www.theocentric.com/personal/reading/wisdom_from_the_batcave.html
Friedman is a rabbi and a consultant to the FBI. He has written an inspiring book that describes the universal principles that make Batman an inspiration to dediction, courage, and hard work. Batman has chosen not to pursue his passion through the normal channels of law enforcement: "I'm not interested in the law - I'm interested in justice." This gives him the luxury of dangling a crook over the lip of a twenty-story building to gain information.
But don't let Batman's excesses blind you to all the positive values which make him heroic. Young Bruce Wayne experienced the greatest tragedy possible for a young child, having had to watch his parents murdered before his very eyes. Having experienced such great loss, he appreciates the great gift of family. In an episode where a villain places Batman in a dream state, Batman fantasizes of nothing more than having a normal family life. "Bruce would trade all of his fame and fortune for a chance to have such relationships" (17). In Batman's own words, he longs "[t]o hear my father's voice, to feel my mother's embrace" (17). Having lost his family, he has created a surrogate family that surrounds and supports him.
Bruce has not fallen prey to despair. "After his parents' cold-blooded murder, Bruce could easily have allowed himself to hide behind a thick curtain of denial for the rest of his life. His inherited wealth would have allowed him to drown himself in materialistic, mind-numbing pleasure. He could have become the lazy, selfish, mindless playboy he only pretends to be. Who would have blamed him? Instead, Bruce Wayne chose a very different path. He refused - and refuses - to succumb to despair or to embrace a philosophy of hopelessness" (22). Bruce has the greatest strength - the inner strength of conviction, character, integrity, and commitment.
Though Batman cannot save everyone, by inspiring others, his impact is magnified. Indeed, his influence can be described as no less than spiritual: "The Batman represents the best of human resolve, will, sacrifice, strength, justice and courage – all that is most nobly human, most genuinely spiritual" (49).
Batman is not just escapist fantasy. Fiction is not the opposite of fact. Truth can be communicated through stories - whether true-life or made-up. Friedman offers many other examples of Batman's wisdom. He concludes with this: "there are countless opportunities around us—opportunities that we encounter in our everyday lives—to be heroic. They might not require that we scale the sheer face of a mountain, endure arctic weather, possess mastery of a batarang or a black belt in kung fix, or match wits with world-class assassins. But they are no less heroic—that is, if you consider to be a hero someone who helps people and makes a positive difference in their lives, refuses to bow to difficulty or adversity, and possesses integrity and principles in the face of seductive temptation. I sure do" (92).
So the next time you run into trouble, ask yourself, "What Would Batman Do?" It may offer more wisdom than you might first think!
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Thank you, Pastor Rich!