To say that the newest Avengers movie, Endgame, is a success might be an understatement. It only took eleven days to reach 2 Billion dollars in the theaters and is tracking only behind Avatar as the highest grossing movie ever. Before long Endgame will be the highest grossing movie ever.
The movie caps a ten year journey comprised of twenty-two movies. We followed the adventures of a core group of individuals with unique (super) powers who were able to stand against threats larger and more powerful than humanity can ward off. Along the way we discovered that one threat, Thanos, an insane being seeking the means to correct over population. He wills to wipe out half of the universe’s population. To accomplish such a mad plot, he locates the six infinity stones of great power, fuses them into a gauntlet and by snapping his finger, half of all life will be wiped out from existence (if you think that’s a crazy scheme, then just know he’s called the “Mad Titan”).
Infinity War was the failed attempt by the Avengers to stop Thanos from carrying out his plan. Endgame is the aftermath of the snap, and it explores how people live with half the world’s population unexpectedly gone.
In a time when we’ve become more and more isolated from each other, when social media has played role in driving us farther and farther apart, and when we feel the need for community less and less, the number one grossing movie ever is about the emptiness of isolation and the need to bring community back together.
Such isolation is felt, when sometime back, I read a report about the state of the bowling community in our society. At the time bowling’s popularity was on the rise. The lanes were full and people really enjoyed the sport. However, bowling leagues were taking a hit. People weren’t committed to a team sport. They loved to bowl as individuals, but not as teammates on weekly basis. Thus, bowling leagues were struggling to fill their rosters.
I’ve felt this in my own life. I’ve seen people drop out of “church” because they can “do church” in their own home and to them it’s more meaningful. I’ve witnessed relationships strained to the point where two people cannot worship in the same building. I’ve seen the Lord’s Supper, a meal underscoring our unity, taken by two people who will not even speak to each other. I know this to be a fact because I’ve been guilty of the same things.
God has always embraced community. He’s described in Scripture as community: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He called Abraham as an individual, then made him a family, a tribe and then finally a nation. He called twelve individuals to follow him and made them his disciples. He established the Church, not a building or an organization but as a body of people who come together in celebration of salvation, to encourage each other and to hold one another accountable in our commitment to God. We need each other.
The number one grossing movie of all time explores the loss we feel when the community has vanished, and the need to have those people in our lives (I wonder just how intentional that plot-line was to the writers of the film?). I’m hoping that the emptiness, loneliness and isolation felt in that movie translates into a society seeking community once again. I’m hoping people start seeking church again.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. ony God is glorified!)
(i.