Most of us like the idea of being the hero of our stories—able to single-handedly tackle life’s challenges through our own abilities. But life seldom works out that way. And sometimes we find reminders of the true nature of personal strength—a strength born out of faith and community—in surprising places.
If you’ve spent as much time as I have with the video games “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man: Miles Morales”, the moment you boot up “Spider-Man 2” everything feels refined, but familiar. The city has a wonderful new coat of paint, ray-traced reflections really shine (literally), and it’s never been easier to use your abilities against your foes. All of this, however, wouldn’t matter much if the story didn’t match what came before. The original game left me in tears and I’m not ashamed to say that the story in the sequel tugged at my heart strings even more. Once again, I had to wipe my eyes as the credits rolled; and I was left excited at where the next story might take me.
Trying to go it alone
It is no secret that the Venom storyline is at the center of “Spider-Man 2”. Since the first trailer, where the infamous symbiote jumped from the shadows, fans of our favorite wall crawler had some good ideas of what to expect. We knew there was a black suit in Peter Parker’s future and that the symbiote that created it tends to bring out the darker traits of those who wear it. There’s a reason we love how Peter Parker evolves in the story, and fans were simply crossing fingers that we didn’t have another bully Parker like Tobey Maquire’s from the film “Spider-Man 3”. Thankfully, there were no awkward dance montages in the game.
This black suit Spider-Man is darker and more menacing and the way his suit evolves to reflect that transformation works in tandem with Yuri Lowenthall’s excellent performance. There is one moment in particular where we see what the suit costs Peter. Partners like Miles Morales and loved ones like Mary Jane Watson are pleading with him to remove the suit. They see the change, they want to save him, but Peter refuses their help. Instead, he storms off shouting the line that struck me most: “You’re not the hero. I am.” Sure, this sentiment begins well intentioned. Before the symbiote, Peter is constantly concerned with saving and protecting those he loved. But the symbiote twisted him to the point that Spidey feels like a lone wolf -- like no one else can do what he does.
We all want control, don’t we? I know what it’s like to refuse help because I feel like I’m the only one who can get things done. I confess that I like to think of myself as the hero of my story. But as a pastor, as a Christian and follower of Christ, this mentality can get me in trouble. For one, it’s exhausting when I feel like I’m the only one who can do something. It interrupts the resting time of Sabbath, which can only come from acknowledging there are others to share the burden with me. Whether in ministry or in my personal life, there is always something to do and someone to help. It’s not unlike the constant red exclamation mark on the game’s HUD, reminding me that yet another crime is being committed—and that needs to be stopped, which distracts me from the main quest line. There’s always something to do!
I’m not the hero of the story. Peter Parker wasn’t either. Yes, this is the first game with the spectacular ability to switch between two different Spider-Men (Spider-Mans?), but you also control Mary Jane Watson, too. One mission has you adventuring as Miles’ friend, Hailey Cooper. And we cannot leave out Ganke on the coms, making sure we have the tech needed as we defend the city. It’s very clear that Parker has never been the lone wolf. Rather he is one who succeeds because of the team of people around him. Without those relationships, he would be consumed by the black suit that is simultaneously empowering him and devouring him. He’s not the real hero of the story, and that’s OK.
Identifying the real hero
Consider 1 Corinthians 3:5-8, where the Apostle Paul is dealing with a divided community using the leaders who brought them to faith to divide their community. Paul reminds them, “Each one had a role given to them by the Lord: I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. Because of this, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but the only one who is anything is God who makes it grow.” Humbling words. We’re not the heroes. God is always the hero.
The story might continue without us, but it cannot continue without God. When we open up the Bible and immerse ourselves in the narrative, how often do we view ourselves as the protagonists saving when we’re really needing to be saved? The plea is to widen our focus: from ourselves to the community of believers we are a part of. Only together, with Christ at the head, can we face what this world throws at us and proclaim the hope of God’s kingdom breaking through. We all have a part to play, but there would be no reason to play it had Christ not entered into our story first.
A word heard often in “Spider-Man 2” is “balance.” In a flashback, Peter Parker remembers it written on his bedroom wall under a hole created after his anger got the best of him. Throughout the story we see the need for balance between work and sabbath, responsibility and relationships, even justice and mercy. Both Peter Parker and Miles Morales encounter Venom at a moment in their lives when that balance is out of whack. They’re tired from fighting and feeling like neither has the ability to rest. It’s in this weakness that the symbiote takes hold and transforms Peter.
Realizing that we aren’t the hero gives us the space we need to step back and rest. The world will continue on without us. Entrusting ministries to brothers and sisters serving alongside us means they continue while we recharge and vice versa. We also see that living into God’s vision can only happen when we all contribute, when all voices from various perspectives are heard. When the well is empty, we’re not at our best. When we don’t have balance, we are most vulnerable.
Peter Parker sees the symbiote's weakness for the first time as church bells chime and he is ultimately rescued by the people he so often rescued. Redemption enters the story when he confesses he’s not whole without them. Redemption enters our story when we focus on those church bells. Balance happens with the realization we are not alone – we are surrounded by a company of witnesses serving alongside us. We are not the hero of the story and that is OK. In the beginning there is God. In the end there is God, too.
Rev. Nathan Wittman is the pastor of Englewood UMC and Saint Paul UMC in Rocky Mount, NC. He’s married to another UMC pastor, Rev. Laura Wittman, and together they have three boys, Cameron, Allen and Ezra. Nathan loves all things gaming, reading and writing fantasy, and collecting way too many action figures.
