“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – Jesus (John 10:11, CEB translation)
“I am Iron Man.” - Tony Stark
Oh, let’s have some fun today. Let’s imagine four of the Avengers took my Gospel Discipleship assessment. How would they test? Now, in honor of my husband and my son, I need to declare that I am working with the portrayal of the Avengers in the Marvel Universe movies, not necessarily the portrayal of them in the comic books. Let’s get clear what canon we are working with from the get go, shall we?
So, what would the results of their tests be? Well…
1. Bruce Banner/The Hulk – Markan. I like to describe Markans as really pretty chill people… who walk around carrying fire within. Markans have this constant roiling beneath the surface. We want to smash all the things, particularly all the things that do not fit our understanding of the reign of God. However, we have learned to control that impulse. Keep it pretty locked down. Just like Bruce Banner gradually learns to control the Hulk. In fact, really integrated Markans are like Hulk/Banner in Avengers: Endgame – calm, reasonable, and hulking green (or red with the Holy Spirit’s fire). For me, the perfect Markan moment, though, is in the first Avengers movie when Captain America tells Banner that now might be a really good time for him to get angry, and Banner responds, “That’s my secret, Captain. I’m always angry.” Markans may or may not always be angry. But we are always walking around with fire just below the surface. Most of us have just learned how to control and aim it accordingly. Mark smash!
2. Thor – Matthean. Thor is a man of action. Especially when we first meet Thor, he believes everything can be solved with a good fight. He is in crisis when his hammer is removed from him, his tool to right the wrongs of the world. He also will follow Captain America’s lead, because he noticed Cap moved the hammer just a bit, and he follows the Vision, who straight up picks it up. Mattheans will follow a great leader, particularly one who puts people in action. But he will also shoot off on his own to just get stuff done if the others are moving too slow. He also encounters the Matthean crisis – when the actions he takes do not result in great good. When he beheads Thanos, and everything doesn’t get fixed, he goes off the rails. When Thor has purpose and movement, he is at his healthiest. When there is nothing to do or nothing can be done, Thor is lost.
3. Captain America – Lukan. Captain America is the heart and soul of the Avengers. He is the calm in the midst of the storm. He also works diligently at keeping the team together. Even in Civil War, when the team is flying apart, he still maintains contact with the other side, keeping lines of communication with Iron Man even when they are in deep disagreement. Also, Captain America remains deeply loyal to the people he loves, which we see in his lifelong love of Peggy Carter. In the aftermath of the disappearance of half the universe, we see Captain America’s response is to gather in a small support group, just like a Lukan would do. Captain America is the one who can see and unite a whole host of different people around a common identity. He is the hospitable presence in the Avengers, making room for all kinds of people with all kinds of identities and ways of being.
4. Iron Man – Johannine. I mean, first of all, the Gospel of John is known for the “I am” statements of Jesus, and Tony Stark’s most famous statement is “I am Iron Man.” Also, though, Tony Stark sees himself as the resident expert in so many things. Often he is relying on the information he has gathered and the study he has done over and above what anyone else has to say. He also hits crisis when his leadership or the others he trusts to lead starts to falter. He needs to know he knows what to do, and when he doesn’t, as we see in the beginning of Endgame, he withdraws from everything. He is a bit of a lone wolf, particularly when he is not sure who to trust. He needs clarity of answers and direction, and when that falters, he falters. But his strong expectations on leadership means that he will take command, and will lead well. But he will also follow the ones he really trusts, like Captain America, even though they are few and far between. He has a strong moral compass, even (especially) if that moral compass is one that he has defined. He has a talent for mentoring others, which we see particularly in how he takes Spiderman under his wing.
I hope that this reflection is fun, and also shows you how these discipleship types apply to all kinds of lives, even fictional ones. If you want to know which Avenger, or Gospel, you line up with, and you haven’t taken the Gospel Discipleship assessment, find it at www.ministrymatters.com/gospeldiscipleship. And if you have some ideas of other pop culture icons who could match up with these types, I would love to hear your thoughts. For instance, any ideas on the Harry Potter houses? Share your ideas here or send them to info@gospeldiscipleship.net.
May we all find heroic ways to be disciples of Jesus Christ in this time, and in all the times before us!