At the Movies: Spider-Man

Being a teenager is hard, but it’s even harder when you have superpowers, and there are many versions of you across the multiverse. Miles Morales has to confront family and societal expectations through the lens of grief and loss. 

Transcript

INTRO

We’re on week 2 of At the Movies. In this series, we look at one of the summer blockbusters for its major themes and see how the Bible can speak into them.

Last week was Barbie, and this week, if you haven’t guessed by my shirt, is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Not only is it a good story, but it’s visually stunning. Its animation is unlike anything ever created. Just gorgeous!

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the trailer.

SPIDER-MAN OVERVIEW

When you think of Spider-Man, you probably think of Peter Parker. But this movie is about a different Spider-Man: Miles Morales. And even a Spider-Woman named Gwen Stacey.

How can there be so many Spider-People? That’s because of the multiverse—a premise that states there are infinite parallel universes, all of which have a Spider-Man. And with the right technology, you can travel across the Spider-Verses (hence the title).

The first big villain we encounter is The Spot, a kind of dorky trans-dimensional former human set on destroying Miles. In fighting him, Miles discovers a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the dimensional integrity of the Multiverse. Things get complicated, new threats arise, and Miles must make some really hard choices. That’s really all I can without spoilers.

THEMES IN SPIDER-MAN

One of the big themes of Spider-Man is the duality of his teenage life and his superhero life. He foils bank robberies but fights with his parents. He defeats supervillains but is awkward around girls. He has to be noble, but he also gets angry. These two parts of him always seem to be in conflict.

In this movie, this duality, this conflict is made even more poignant across the multiverse.

If you’re familiar with the traditional Spider-Man storyline, then you’re familiar with the death of Uncle Ben. He’s the one who said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s a critical moment in Spider-Man’s origin story.

Well, it turns out that every Spider-People has an “uncle Ben story.” Every one of them—uncles, dads, brothers. Tragedy and loss help create Spider-Man. In fact, they’re essential. They’re called canon events, and they hold together the entire Spider-Verse.

But this is something that Miles doesn’t want to acknowledge. In a pivotal moment in the story, Miles is arguing with Miguel O-Hara, the leader of the Spider-Team, about the choice to take one person or save everybody. Miles is adamant that he can do both. But Miguel turns around and says to him,

“We all want to live the life we wish we had. Believe me, I have tried. And the harder I try, the more damage I did. You can’t have it all, kid… Being Spider-Man is a sacrifice. That’s the job. That’s what you signed up for.”

There’s the other duality of Spider-Man—the selfishness of saving a loved one—dad, mom, girlfriend—or the sacrifice of saving everybody. Doing what you want vs. doing what you signed up for. The classic conflict of Spider-Man.

THE BIBLICAL CONFLICT BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT

This reminds me a lot of how the Apostle Paul talks about the conflict between flesh and spirit. He talks a lot about this in Romans 8 and Galatians 5. It’s the constant tension in the Christian between doing what we want and what God wants. What are these two things: the flesh and the spirit?

The Flesh

The flesh is so much more than just our physical body. It’s our fallen human nature that is inclined toward sin and selfishness. It represents our human weakness, limitation, and tendency to rebel against God.

Romans 8:5-6 describes it like this:

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

The Spirit

In contrast, the spirit is the power and presence of God in the life of the believer. It represents a life oriented toward God, righteousness, and eternal life. Living by spirit means submitting to God’s will and being led by the Holy Spirit.

In Galatians 5, Paul tells us what it will look like if we walk by the spirit.

22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control… 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

The Conflict

These two natures—the flesh and the spirit—are always in conflict. There’s no reconciling the two. In any given moment, day, or year, you’re living in one or the other.

In the middle of that Galatians passage I just read, Paul writes this:

17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want…

That’s why it’s such as great parallel with Spidey. In that argument I referenced earlier, Miguel tells Miles, “You have a choice between saving one person and saving an entire world, every world.” Miles shouts back, “I can do both!”

No, Miles, you can’t. You can’t save Uncle Ben and be Spider-Man. You can’t do both.

And you, if you’re a Christian, you can’t do both. You can’t live by the Spirit and live by the flesh. The flesh will always quench the Spirit, and the Spirit will always disempower the flesh.

THE OUTCOME

But here’s the good news. For the believer, this isn’t an even battle. This is not Jesus on arm-wrestling Satan, like that ridiculous meme. The power of the Spirit is greater than that of the flesh.

Paul, in the middle of his discussion of flesh vs. spirit, gives this incredible promise,

“The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you…” (Romans 8:11)

Think about that for a second. The Spirit that is living inside you is of the same God that raised Jesus from the dead. That’s power. And that’s inside you. The Holy Spirit empowers you, with that same power, to overcome the desires of the flesh. I know some of those flesh temptations feel so strong, but the Holy Spirit in you is stronger. And when we walk in the Spirit and stay in step with the Spirit, that power overcomes the flesh.

• Think about the strongest temptation of the flesh you go back to over and over again… The Spirit is stronger.

• Think of the shame and the guilt of the last time you gave into that temptation… The Spirit is stronger.

• Think of your next temptation… The Spirit is stronger.

CLOSING

Miguel told Miles: “Being Spider-Man is a sacrifice. That’s the job. That’s what you signed up for.”

Paul is telling us: 12 Brothers and sisters, we have an obligation… 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if, by the Spirit, you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Being a Christian is a sacrifice. That’s the job. That’s what we signed up for. But the reward is life as we’ve always wanted it.