Jesus said, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not, has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For whoever does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." 

Psychologists and spiritual writers talk about "our shadow," namely that part of us that we do not want to be part of our personality, but is always present in our minds. It is the part that can be described as "evil" compared to the "good" that our conscience leads us to. In this session of "Spider-man 3," Peter Parker/Spider-man encounters his "shadow" in the form of a symbiote from outer space that takes over his personality. Symbolized by the black spider-suit, he gives free reign to his shadow's desire for the very thing that he never wanted in his life, namely, revenge and hatred. But with the help of the gentle wisdom of his Aunt May, and the terrible turns of his relationship with Mary Jane, he finally realizes what is happening to him. He does the most difficult thing he has ever done in his life: he deliberately tears off the black spider-suit, and chooses, as he says, to do what is right.

Perhaps one of the most condemnatory statements in the Gospels is spoken in the Gospel of John: "This is the verdict: that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil." Jesus was of course the light, but people preferred darkness, that is, they preferred what they wanted and made a choice accordingly.

Peter Parker/Spider-man knew that he had a choice. He could remain under the control of his shadow, or he could choose the light. As he explained later, "Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside of us, we always have a choice. It's the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what is right." After a monumental struggle within himself, quite significantly occurring in a Church, Peter Parker/Spider-man chose the light. He chose the light connected with forgiveness, overcoming the poison of revenge, realizing that he had become, as his Aunt May pointed out, "something ugly." "Ugly" is what happens when people prefer darkness to light.

In our world that has been labeled a culture of darkness, too often we have chosen to live in an ugly manner, and have preferred the darkness, that is, the selfishness, the pleasure and the power, rather than the light of responsibility or in Christian terms, the light of Jesus. We have a choice. We can choose ourselves or we can choose the light of God. Choosing God involves effort, but in the end, it is the only way a good person can act. Our world will be so much better when we finally make that discovery.

THOUGHT
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son promised us eternal life if we choose him rather than the darkness of selfishness. Help us truly choose your Son as our guide and thus accept the light of responsibility into our lives. Be with us, we pray. 

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©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America