Found only in Rocky and Bullwinkle. If you don't know the moose and flying squirrel I would suggest you go back in time, attend Watsamatta U and fight off Boris and Natasha. We tend to associate with either hero's or villains. The first two are the good guys and the second two are the bad guys. Who would have guessed that a bumbling moose and a flying squirrel could not only take on a bumbling foreign spy, Boris and his sidekick Natasha. We know that this is exactly what happened though. Where have the hero's gone? What happened to those like the Lone Ranger and Tonto? How about Davie and Goliath? Another duo you will have to look up. Most Lutherans should know them. A boy and his dog who come up against moral dilemmas in their daily lives where failure and restoration take place through love, grace and mercy. THAT'S what we need in our lives every day.
Who's hero are you? Who's villain are you? If you associate with either, your identity in Christ is not complete. In Christ we no longer live but He lives within us. In Christ we are more than conquerors. In Christ we live and breathe and having our being. I'm no one's hero. I'm no one's villain. However, I am a representative of Jesus who is THE hero. No, he's not the villain in any sense of the word. Jesus Christ is also consistent; the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That's the good news that should emanate through our letting him live his life through us. Successful submission is voluntarily and eagerly sought. When we are submitted to Jesus we are allowing Christ to have direction and control of our lives for the good of his will...not our will. Besides his will is always better than my will even when I make good decisions. There are people who think they have need of me to be either a hero or a villain. In both cases I will disappoint them. I am neither.
In Frostbite Falls, Minnesota there is a story that brings us close to what the human being would encounter in their real life in International Falls, Minnesota. Yep, that's the real place. It's flat and cold. During the month of spring/summer and fall you can enjoy the giant mosquitoes and flies. Yeah... I paint a dismal picture of a beautiful place. Maybe because inside of me I seek the quiet beauty of that town, surroundings and era of Rocky and Bullwinkle. The Lone Ranger lived out in the countryside in an unknown canyon with Tonto (and their horses of course). They were constantly focused on evil that might raise its ugly head. When that happened they addressed the issue and always succeeded. Just like Frostbite Falls, there is a need to focus on the success of good over evil. It's no different with Davie and Goliath. Davie was the wandering soul (me) and Goliath was his ever present wise and wonderful dog (the Holy Spirit). I can hear Goliath saying, "I wouldn't do that Davie. It's wrong." The villain for all three examples is the inner us. We are the enemy of ourselves.
I woke up this morning focusing on all of the botched or missed opportunities throughout my life since becoming Christian. That was 42 years of reminiscing. Don't get me wrong, there were lots of hero moments in there as well. I just wasn't focusing on the good. The villain in me has done lots of wrong. Maybe you too? The hero in me is more subdued and often doesn't get the billing that the villain in me does. Despite that fact, Christ is the reason I am here writing this blog, living the life I do, and looking for ways to help others on an ongoing basis. I'm not alone either. I have friends and family who are just like me. Well, kind of. The common thread in their and my lives is that the real hero, Jesus, lives within me. That in Christ we can have freedom from the villain all of us are born with. That would be sin. I cannot live through one day without sin somewhere rearing its ugly head. I can live through the day giving every moment to Jesus. He made me more than a conqueror and I should live like one. How about you? Want to go to Frostbite Falls with me?
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