X-Men Apocaplyse

My favorite part of my X-Men Apocalypse viewing experience was between the movie and the post-credits scene.

My friend said she had asked God which X-men she was, and God had said Jean. (Spoiler alert––Jean has a pretty fierce role in the movie.) I thought that was cool. I never think to ask God questions like that, but I could totally see it. She is Jean. With so much raw power inside. Someone we need.

I started wondering who I could be. Not Jean. Definitely not Mystique. Who was even left?

But when I asked God, He answered right away. “You’re the super speedy kid.” (Quicksilver) I laughed to myself, because I could see it immediately. He was one of the goofiest characters in the movie, but also my favorite.

“Humorous, chill, overly vulnerable, self-deprecating, and then the one who comes and saves the day in a way no one else can. That’s you.”

I beamed in my seat.

Unconventional Heroes

It got me thinking about how we are all heroes in our own way.

Sometimes we get in our heads that to be important, you have to fit a specific profile: physically tough, emotionally stoic, or overwhelmingly brilliant. But heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes what is needed in a crucial moment is someone who knows how to not take themselves too seriously, who can break through the gloom with humor. Sometimes what is needed is vulnerability, compassion, or relational connection.

We’re not all the same. We’re not supposed to be. We are strong in different ways and in different moments.

In X-Men, each mutant has unique gifts that they didn’t choose, but merely discovered. Many are still learning to accept their uniqueness. Many of them are still learning how to control their gifts. Just like many of us.

But the best part is, they come to discover that they are part of a community. They are not on their own.

More Than Just Me

Sometimes I forget how important it is for me to be me. But that’s the most necessary, beautiful, and important thing for me to be. Me. But not just me. Not me on my own. Not me toughing it out as a loner, but me in the context of the community around me. Me as part of a team. We are all different and that is exactly why we need each other.

Being different from each other means disagreements, miscommunication, and misunderstanding at times. But the truth is we are stronger together. We are better together. And we just plain don’t make sense by ourselves.

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What is your greatest gift? How is that gift meant to function as part of a team?

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