I LOVE sci-fi movies, I love action movies, and I love superhero movies. But when I watch movies about “gods” and “demi-gods,” as awesome as some of the movies are, I can’t help but see how they fail in comparison in so many ways to our One, True God!
Since we do have a God (the God), we should see how lucky we are to have the God we DO have. We are so blessed to not have any of the gods/demi-gods in place of God…for they are so flawed and filled with much less ability.
I cringe even attempting to visualize God as being any different. Think back to any of the movies you may have seen that have these characters. To name a few: the Percy Jackson series, The Avengers, and Clash of the Titans. I picked an important few to show a comparison to how grateful we can be for God just being God, and all who he is.
Here are just a few:
Aphrodite: the god of love & beauty. That’s pretty much it. Only her children can be beautiful, but she only has a certain amount of children, and she doesn’t create anything else beautiful. She doesn’t create beautiful seasons, beautiful animals, breathtaking sunsets, the galaxy, or any other gorgeous thing that exists. She’s nothing but vanity. God is beautiful, inside and out. He creates beauty that the eye can behold, and he is of beauty in the soul and heart and action and thought. His beauty is beyond fleeting features. Aphrodite’s act of “love” is that of sexual desire for her own self and her relationships are full of affairs. Her definition is wrong. God’s love is that of selfless sacrifice by sending his Son, Jesus, to live a sinless life and to be sacrificed in our place so we could be made pure and reside in Heaven together, and his commitment is that of a marriage (the Church as the Bride). Not only did God give a profound act of sacrificial love, but he continues to show love to us in so many awesome ways through action, healing, etc. I mean, can you say, “Aphrodite, who?”
Poseidon: the god of the sea. God parted the Red Sea! He’s also God over more than just the sea! Poseidon reigns over “peanuts” compared to God.
Percy/Perseus: demi-god. In the movie Percy Jackson’s Lightning Thief, he’s the son of Poseidon, but he’s really son of Zeus. But, let’s look at the Percy Jackson movies. He’s missing a relationship with his dad, always wondering if his dad wants to see him, when he’ll next see his dad, if he’s forgotten, etc. He’s lonely. In the end, all the demi-gods explain they want a relationship with their parent and some are angry they don’t have a relationship. I know that it’s probably supposed to convey how humans sometimes feel with God, but it is not the reality of our God. The series may try to bring that out, but it really just makes me think how awesome our God is in comparison to their parent-gods. Our God wants a relationship with us every day! He will meet with us as we meet with him. He is thoughtful. He didn’t just go have a quick “relationship” with a human and then leave. He created us, individually…he formed us thoughtfully in the womb. We don’t have to look overa sea, wondering when we can next connect with him, or if he’ll take care of us. We can KNOW he is taking care of us.
Zeus: god of the sky and thunder. God does circles around him. Zeus’s power, reign, and character come nowhere near our God’s power, reign, and character. Especially in wisdom. I remember not being very impressed with Zeus at all in Clash of the Titans, even when not when comparing him to God. I couldn’t have been more grateful God was not a version of Zeus.
Even while I enjoy those movies for their action and some good metaphorical thinking to walk away with, I leave thinking how awesome and powerful and relational our God is in comparison. We are so lucky that it is HE who reigns over everything. I am so grateful that God is the character he is rather than any other “god.” He is the great “I am.” And that is just a sliver of how awesome our God is! We all go through many different trials at different times, etc., but even then, we can be appreciate God for who he is.
Robyn lives in Oregon with her husband and two kids where they enjoy making memories. She is passionate about bringing women together to laugh, cry, and enrich one another in their God-given gifts and unique design! Robyn loves coffee, trying new food, being with friends, and creating projects and moments. She has booklets, journals, and a podcast channel available online.
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