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WARNING:THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS AND CONTENT FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

Giving God Your List

By Jeremy Sukup

April 28^th is the day that Marvel and DC fans can find common ground to celebrate “National Superheroes Day.” It’s a momentous day, especially for Marvel, as they continue to deliver one great story line after another on the big screen and through their mini-series. As a self-admitted Marvel fan, I must say this last series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” had me wanting to know more about the two lead characters: Falcon (aka Sam) and The Winter Soldier (aka Bucky). For those that aren’t Marvel fans, but are curious where this is going, I will give you a very short synopsis into the characters.

Bucky, the Winter Soldier, had a deep, dark past as he was controlled by an evil scientist for the organization Hydra. Baron Zemo would say a specific set of code words to trigger Bucky to do horrendous acts. If the devil had a side kick, scientist Baron Zemo was that guy. Sam, the heroic Falcon, was once the wingman, no pun intended, for Captain America, and was now faced with the daunting decision to take on the mantel of Captain America or hang up the shield forever. I will follow the Marvel code and let you find out the rest of their story through Disney’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

You may be wondering how does a Marvel storyline have anything to do with God? On the dawn of the very last episode of the season, I was driving into work and heard a song that brought to back some painful parts of my past, similar to how the Bucky continually had a glimpse back into his. We tend to keep a mental list of the wrongs of our past, and from time to time these things come back and haunt us like a bad dream.

These flashbacks occur daily for Bucky. Early on in the show, Bucky begins his mandated counseling sessions with a psychologist. Like most of us, he is reluctant to share any of the issues he is going through. She knows his past and why he is there, so she encouraged him to write down as many names as he could remember in order to heal and move forward with his life. What were these names? Each name was another person’s life Bucky had destroyed. As you’re reading this, is your mind taking you back to a time you may have damaged someone’s life through an act or harsh words that you can’t take back. Does something in your past still haunt you to this day?

One of the most memorable names on his list was a gentleman by the name of Yori. Day after day Bucky would go to a Japanese restaurant to sit with Yori. You could see on his face that he sat in anguish wanting to get something off his chest. The weight of this past transgression followed Bucky as his storyline developed throughout the series. Bucky brushed it off his painful past as he chased after the enemy in the show. He may have been distracted by an alternative goal, but his flashbacks wouldn’t stop! To make matters worse, Bucky kicks down a door to find the man who once was able to utter a series of words to trigger Winter Soldier into an atrocious act was now standing face to face with him. In this moment, what would you do?

How many times in life has an opportunity to get even come face to face with you? Maybe it was someone at work who stole your idea, a painful past relationship, a road rage driver on the way home from work. The Bible says in Romans 12:17-18, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Bucky quickly realizes for them to succeed in their mission, they need Baron. He must put aside his past and live peaceably for the greater good, not repaying an evil with another evil act.

What happened with Yori? Through four episodes I sat on the edge of my seat wondering if Bucky would ever muster up the strength to confess to Yori what had happened to his son. Bucky had crossed every name off the list except for Yori’s. While Bucky had this difficult conversation, we may need to have a similar conversation with God. He knows the pain of your past. His only request is to bring your book, the list of your names, and talk to Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.”

Be a superhero! Take the weight off your shoulders, allow God’s forgiveness to cross off your list and keep moving forward in your life!