I’ve always been a sucker for movies and video games that follow a traditional hero’s journey. These stories typically go something like this:
- An ordinary person is pulled out of ordinary life and crosses a threshold into a sea of chaos, darkness, and uncertainty
- In this dark place, the character must face a powerful external enemy, or sometimes an enemy within himself
- The character rises to the occasion, defeats the enemy, and is transformed into a better person as a result
- The hero returns home with the elixir of knowledge, wisdom, and sometimes treasure
We see this pattern in movies like Star Wars, The Lion King, and The Matrix, and in books like The Hobbit and Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene. We see this pattern in almost every video game. Ladies, if you’ve ever wondered why we men are addicted to those dumb video games, this is a clue. Men are addicted to this hero’s journey. We want to play out this story again and again. It never gets old.
The reason the hero’s journey resonates so deeply is that it’s a reflection of our own real-life journeys of growth and transformation. It’s also an echo of the fairy tale that actually happened: the story of our mighty savior Jesus who sacrificed himself and descended into hell to redeem us for Himself.
This has me thinking about where our world is now. Thanks to COVID-19, we have all been pulled from ordinary life into a world of chaos and uncertainty. We are all in a dungeon, and we are each being tested in unique ways.
I have given some thought to how I will be different when everything returns to normal. If I am the hero of my own story, what have I learned? How have I grown? I think I may return from my journey with a few key items, and I would like to share them with you.
A treasure
I have grown in love and appreciation for my wife and kids during this time. I have gotten to know my boys better. My girls are pure bubbly joy and confidence all the time. My wife is fun and fun-loving in the most dreary of circumstances. We’ve been forced to dwell on conflict more, and we’ve had more time to talk things out since daily routine doesn’t get in the way as much. God has reminded me just how rich I am, and how worthwhile it is to sacrifice for this treasure I’ve been given. My interactions with my boys have given me greater confidence for our homeschooling plans next year. I’m coming away from this time with a little more resolve to protect this treasure than I did before.
A weapon
One thing I’ve noticed about myself in this crisis is just how much I’m hearing from the culture, and even other scared Christians, when compared to the truth of God’s Word and conviction of his spirit. The ratio is pretty bad, and I’ve learned how messed up I can get when my spirit is hearing the whispers of the culture rather than the Spirit. In times like this it’s so important to seek truth and know exactly what we believe, and why. I won’t pretend that I’ve been some kind of Bible-study superstar this whole time, but the sickness and confusion of the culture have definitely made me crave the truth of scripture more. It’s made me realize even more than I did before just how important this is. I hope am emerging from this dungeon clutching the Sword of the Word a little more tightly than I did before.
A shield
Social stigma is a powerful force. I don’t think the church is being persecuted yet, but I think we as Christians need to prepare ourselves for what real persecution may look like in the future. I think that when persecution and tyranny come to America, it will speak the moral language of Christianity and use social stigma to achieve its goals. Are you prepared to have your faith called “unloving,” “unjust,” “cruel,” or “ignorant?” Are you prepared to be hated and slandered on every social media platform and news outlet? Are you prepared to stand on the truth, and not be swayed? Use this time to confirm what you believe, and what you will never compromise on. Are you willing to give up everything for those beliefs?
An elixir
DoorDash and Grubhub. Now that I know I can get Chick-Fil-A sauce delivered to my house whenever I want, my life will never be the same.
Take heart, we will be out of this soon. I think when I emerge from the shadows it will be time for my next hero’s journey: getting this sorry mess of a human body into some semblance of physical fitness. I may have to ditch the Chick-Fil-A sauce. Wherever you are in your journey, and whatever God is teaching you, don’t leave this dungeon without a few treasures!
