Redeemed Ink Media Podcast

Comic Cleric
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Redeemed Ink Media connects the world of Geek Culture with the message of Jesus. redeemedinkmedia.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Devo: Letting the Bad Guys Get Away

    6d ago

    Devo: Letting the Bad Guys Get Away

    Crossovers between characters from two different comic book publishers have always been exciting for longtime fans. In an industry where it can seem as if characters never change and the same stories can be retold over and over, a story wherein characters who would otherwise never cross paths get the chance to meet each other opens up the possibility of something new. That said, there is one trope that always seems to dominate these crossovers: A misunderstanding of some sort causes the heroes to fight each other before they finally resolve their differences and go on to team up to stop the bad guys. Whether it’s a battle of power, intelligence, or ideals, fans want to see their favorite heroes go up against each other to see who’s the best and who’s right. Only after that has been resolved will readers be ready for the heroes to team up and save the day from whatever combination of villains is threatening the safety and security of the world. But what if they never resolved their differences? What if the fight between the two heroes was the whole story? And what if the heroes allowed the fight to get in the way of their true mission to bring justice and stop the bad guys? Can you imagine it? Consider a situation wherein Batman and Captain America are so focused on beating each other up that they end up letting the Joker and the Red Skull get away. If they became so focused on their differences that they allowed people to suffer and die, would they even be considered heroes at that point? And yet this is very similar to how we can behave as Christians when we meet someone who is also a Christian but has slightly different theological beliefs from us. To be clear, I’m not talking about disagreements over essential doctrine or the act of defending the core beliefs that anyone who calls themselves “Christian” needs to affirm to fit the basic definition of “Christian.” Nor am I talking about debate or discussion that is marked by curiosity, humility, and mutual respect. These types of interactions are healthy. What I’m talking about are interactions with other Christians that devolve into petty arguments revolving around secondary issues and tertiary issues that have no bearing on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These interactions are often marked by pride, arrogance, and tribalism. Participants in such arguments will often insult the intelligence or spiritual maturity of other Christians who love Jesus just as much as they do but have come to different conclusions than they have about secondary and tertiary issues. This happens even when both parties have engaged in valid and faithful study of the Bible and in prayer. The natural result of this childish quarreling is division in the Church. It isn’t long before factions based around our personal preferences and egos begin to form and we start excluding from fellowship those whom Christ has chosen not to exclude. And, while all of this is happening, the world outside the Church cries out in pain from dealing with what it means to exist in a fallen world plagued by sin and dark spiritual forces. Even though we have the solution to their pain that is found in the hope of Jesus and could offer it to them at any time, we find ourselves too busy fighting each other to be bothered to do that. It’s like we’ve become superheroes who have forgotten that their main mission is to fight the bad guys and save people, not to fight each other while ignoring cries for help. If the heroes in this fictional situation can no longer be considered heroes because they have chosen to fight each other instead of the bad guys, what does that say about us when we fight other Christians over things that ultimately do not matter instead of using our time and energy to offer the hope of Jesus to a world that is hurting and in need of a savior? Is it possible that in our arrogance we have abandoned our mission as well? The very mission that God has given us? And is it also possible that when we fight and argue and divide over secondary and tertiary issues that we are no longer acting on God’s side but instead are acting on our own side? Even on the side of evil? Jesus didn’t pray that we got every last issue of doctrine correct. But he did pray for our unity as followers of Christ and that we would be united around Him (John 17:20-23). Therefore we should take protecting that unity very seriously, even if we must sacrifice our pride to maintain it. To do anything else would be to abandon the calling that God has placed on our lives and the mission that He has given us. Or, to put it another way, it would be like superheroes choosing to let the bad guys get away. Thanks for listening. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. If you found this content helpful, please consider sharing it with friends. Or, if you would like to help Redeemed Ink Media make more content like this or help in the advancement of Geek Culture Ministry, prayerfully consider making a one-time or recurring donation at: https://buymeacoffee.com/comiccleric Thanks again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redeemedinkmedia.substack.com

    5 min
  2. Devo: Free Means Free

    May 5

    Devo: Free Means Free

    Thanks for listening. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. If you found this content helpful, please consider sharing it with friends. Or, if you would like to help Redeemed Ink Media make more content like this or help in the advancement of Geek Culture Ministry, prayerfully consider making a one-time or recurring donation at: https://buymeacoffee.com/comiccleric Thanks again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redeemedinkmedia.substack.com

    6 min
  3. Devo: Making A Comeback

    Apr 7

    Devo: Making A Comeback

    Thanks for listening. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. If you found this content helpful, please consider sharing it with friends. Or, if you would like to help Redeemed Ink Media make more content like this or help in the advancement of Geek Culture Ministry, prayerfully consider making a one-time or recurring donation at: https://buymeacoffee.com/comiccleric Thanks again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit redeemedinkmedia.substack.com

    4 min
  • 3 Episodes

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Redeemed Ink Media connects the world of Geek Culture with the message of Jesus. redeemedinkmedia.substack.com

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