The prophets are an incredible source of hope in dark times. Most of them were dealing with the catastrophe of the Exile, the people of the promise being ripped from the land of the promise. This unimaginable event is met by the prophets with the imagination of God, casting images and visions that led the people of Judah to hope.

I want to share a story with you.

About 600 years before Christ was born, a man sat in darkness and isolation in a prison cell. His crime had been telling the truth to power, proclaiming the Word of God to the king. Always a dangerous profession, it was a particularly difficult time to be a prophet. The people had taken advantage of God’s blessing, not understanding that justice and righteousness were required in the Land that had been promised by a God of justice and righteousness.

Like a kid running around with a cape, leaping piles of pillows in a single bound, and flying through the air balanced on the outstretched legs of a playful adult, I often find myself pretending to be one of the Biblical Cinematic Universe’s many superheroes. Reading scripture through the texture of my life, I have taken on the lens and personality of Moses, Paul, and, every once in awhile, even Jesus of Nazareth.