Cost of Upholding Principles

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This period of fasting from TV and computer games frees up time for me to pursue a childhood hobby that I have dropped for years - reading comics!

My favourite? Marvel Comics' Ultimate X-men and DC's Batman; because the underlying themes mirror real life. I like it when I can identify with the characters, especially with their struggles to uphold the right principles and values in the midst of the ugliness of human behaviour which is so prevalent in the world.

One of the common themes is choice: that there are a choice in how we respond to the injustice, pain and persecution that the world throws at you. In X-men, this is repesented by opposing camps lead by Magneto and Prof. Xavior. The former, after being put through the Nazi Holocaust and decades of persecution and rejection by fellow men for being different, decided that enough is enough. He will respond by leading his mutant troops to conquer mankind, destroying millions if necessary. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Prof X, on the other hand, endures the same treatment from his fellow men. Suspicion, rejection, persecution. He probably has the same "right" as Magneto to retaliate against those who persecute him and his X-men. But he chose not to. Instead, he trains his students to use their mutant powers to protect mankind regardless of the cost, believing always that it is the right thing to do, and that working towards reconciliation with mankind is the only way. Violence against those who persecute you should never be an option.

Protect those who hate you, be prepared to lay down your life for those who persecute you. Sounds familiar? (see Rom 12:17, 1 Pet 3:9)

The moral high ground, living by lofty principles. No one really denies their value, or the fact that they are the ideals that man should strive towards. The problem is always that in the face of the ugliness of reality, will people still hold on to those principles and ideals, especially when it comes at a high cost to oneself?

I thought this was so clearly illustrated in the Batman comics. Police Commisioner Jim Gordon, with the help of Batman, have the unenviable task of maintaining law and order in dark Gotham City....manifested by murderous maniacs like the Joker, Mr Freeze, Two-Face among others.

Criminals who, for all the deaths they cause and the atrocities that they commit, will always escape the death sentence, because legally they are considered "mentally unsound". Even when caught and pronounced guilty, the only thing that the law can do is to lock them up in Arkham Asylum.

Unfortunately, they have broken out and escaped so many times... to go back to their atrocities. It would be so tempting for Jim and Batman to rationalise that in these cases, "for the greater good of mankind", it is alright to take the law into their own hands and kill these evil men the next time they have the chance. After all, think of the lives that they will save. Aren't they doing everyone a favour?

But our heroes know that the law and their principles need to be upheld. If they rationalise that they can take the law into their own hands by playing judge and jury, they will not be any different from the criminals that they try to apprehend.

And the price they paid to uphold those principles

(1) The Joker escaped and killed Jim Gordon's wife.
(2) The Joker brutally killed Batman's partner - the 2nd Robin (Jason Todd)
(3) The Joker again shot and paralysed Batgirl - Barbara Gordon, who is also Jim Gordon's daughter.

Yet our heroes presevered and pressed on, in many instances tempted, but always reminding themselvees not to do things that they will regret.

"Raise them to our level, don't sink to theirs."

Sure. these are but fiction. But I believe I do learn some biblical principles from them. I keep asking myself, if my world were to come crashing down around me today, will I continue to hold on to my Christian values? Or will I succumb to the pressures and revert back to the ways of the world. Will I repay evil for evil, especially in dealing with people who hurt me and who hate me?

The more I reflect on this, the more convinced I am of how far I am from truly having God's heart and God's character. I need to be reminded from His Word:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:13-16)

In other words, raise them to our level...don't sink to theirs._
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