LTN Advent Calender 2021: Hope and Superman

Each week, as we make our way through this Advent season, LTN Writers will provide short nerdy devotionals for you and your family to enjoy. You can find them all here. Also, if you want more nerdy advent content, check out our Advent Calendar from 2018. Our first Advent devotional centers on the hope of Christ’s coming.

“What does the ‘S’ stand for?” – Lois

“It’s not an ‘S.’ On my world, it means Hope.” – Superman

There is a sense in which every story contains echoes of Eden, the hope that someone will make all things right, that the world will make sense amidst all its brokenness. We see it in pop culture in stories like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings. Darkness seems to be winning, and we long for the day when the darkness is overcome, and the light prevails. Nowhere does this seem more obvious than in the story of a baby sent to earth; a father beyond the stars sends forth his son to earth into the gentle care and love of two unlikely parents from a small, backwater, town. This son would grow in wisdom and stature and save mankind from the darkness within and without. Sound familiar? Of course, I’m talking about Superman, the Man of Steel. The Superman mythos has always contained layers of the gospel at its heart, even the name Kal-El means “voice of God.” We tell these stories because deep down we know that brokenness and hurt abounds and we desperately want to see it set right.

The focus of the first week of Advent is all about hope. It is about the longing felt leading up to the birth of the Messiah, and the realization of that hope made flesh. This Messiah would make all things right, and usher in a kingdom far greater than we could ever imagine. He would once and for all put an end to sin and death reigning over His people and keeping them in bondage. This Messiah is one day going to return, and everything will be restored, renewed, and beautiful. It is a longing, a hope, we all feel. As we kick off this Advent season, let us embrace the hope and longing for the return of Jesus, and celebrate the hope felt before his birth! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13 ESV

“You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.” – Jor-El