I saw the movie Wonder for the second time last week. It still made me tear up.
If you haven’t seen this film about Auggie, a boy with a facial deformity who goes to public school for the first time at age 10, you should. The story is so good and the acting so well-done that I actually forgot Julia Roberts played his mom (and I love Julia Roberts movies).
This time, I took the opportunity to note some of the meaningful quotes by the characters. For instance, Auggie’s older sister tells him, “You can’t blend in when you were made to stand out.”
That statement rings true for me and, I think, is consistent with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, GW).
If we follow Christ, we cannot blend in with the crowd. We are motivated by His love to step out from the crowd and do what He calls us to do. That’s how ordinary people become superheroes. Not by saving the world or stopping a speeding bullet, but by demonstrating God’s love through ordinary acts of compassion and sacrifice. Sacrificing our time and comfort to bring comfort to others by meeting their physical needs, by spending time with them, or by listening when no one else will.
Do you know a “superhero” who stands out from the crowd by sharing the love of Jesus? I’d love to hear about them and share them as encouragement to others to stand out.