Musings on "Captain America: Civil War"

* * * SPOILER ALERT * * *

Fanboys and fangirls waited eagerly for the May 6 release of "Captain America: Civil War." I should know. I was one of them!

Many people have asked me why all of these heroes who have fought side-by-side against threats like Loki and Ultron are now fighting each other.

The answer is Helmut Zemo, the villain of the movie.

You see, Zemo is driven by revenge. In the battle between the Avengers and Ultron, an artificial intelligence that considered humanity the greatest threat to the planet Earth, Zemo's family was collateral damage. As a result, Zemo wants to rid the earth of the Avengers.

But Zemo has neither superpowers nor cosmic weapons to do the trick. What he has is a plan, a plan to pit the members of the Avengers against one another. Hence the subtitle "Civil War."

In this movie, Zemo is the Devil and the Avengers are the followers of Jesus, a.k.a. the Church.

Jesus bested the Devil through His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus' death was the price necessary to redeem us from sin, death, and the Devil. And Jesus paid that price willingly because of His love for each one of us. When Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, that meant the utter defeat of the Devil. The Devil was rendered powerless against Jesus and against those who follow Jesus.

Much like Zemo, the Devil is still driven by revenge. Unable to wage war against Jesus, the Devil targets Jesus' followers. Unable to destroy the Church in a direct assault, the Devil schemes and plots to have the Church destroy itself.

Endless conflicts and divisions among believers blunt the Church's witness to the world. Power struggles in congregations or church bodies sap the energy and enthusiasm that should fuel the Church's mission. The lure of wealth or fame or pleasure cripples the leadership of those entrusted to shepherd Jesus' lambs and sheep.

When these things happen, the Devil pours Himself a martini, lights up a cigar, and relaxes by the pool, because he has had a good day.

We can only pray that Jesus, the Lord of the Church, would send His Spirit of peace and unity to fill the hearts of His people. Apart from Jesus' Spirit, we will only breed conflict and disunity. With His Spirit, we can stand against the Devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11). With His Spirit, we can keep the main thing the main thing. With His Spirit, we can continue the mission of Jesus, who came to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 9:10).