The Avengers, Jesus, Buddha etc. and the notion of a Super Hero

Let us get the violence aspect out of the way. Avengers are violent and there is a lot of crashing and destruction in the movies. Sorry. Go to a children's school play yard and watch the 3-5 year olds. My goodness the mayhem! I would say there is a crash every 30 seconds in a full yard. Two trikes run into each other, Suzie falls down and Annie drops here doll from atop the slide. Then Juan and Brooks are throwing wood chips at each other. And Jamile is splashing Monique at the drinking fountain.

Yet after about a year all the children come running round sitting quietly with hands in laps to hear my daily "story" which always has a tender yet instructive "moral to the story". And even then sometimes the big bad wolf blows down a house. Violence is in us and our society. It requires a very mature heart to avoid it and set intentions on not engaging it.

So how do we deal with it? Well we start by making heroes. Heroes to combat bad people and bad violence.

My sincere sympathy to those that are saddened that little children like action and excitement. But you make a little boy sit down and hear a 15 minute sermon of peace and love and you might as well secure his leaving your church as soon as he is able.

Yes children respond well to love and hugs and kisses and people who are serene like cool grandparents. And they will sit still and listen for a few minutes. But then in a healthy child it becomes torture. Believe it or not, a five year old is far more healthy if he is running through mud puddles in the sun than sitting around listening to adult speak of spirituality. Books are awesome but must be used in moderation. TV is awesome but must be used in moderation. But play time never needs to be moderated. And imagination time should be as important as school.

My wife told my son the other day "don't think that way". I must say both my son and I burst out laughing, and then so did she. We all got the point but saying it out loud was just funny.

Adults also need that imagination time. Super Heroes help us do that for nothing is impossible in their world.

Oh let the antagonists and fundamentalists cringe all they want. We need to make heroes out of those who walked the earth spreading peace and love. I speak of those that seem so boring to a child. We need to make them larger than life and greater than super. I do not speak of God qualities I speak of the human qualities.

Why can't a story go like this:

There was this great man who walked everywhere he went. He was the most kind man in all the world. He just loved everybody. One time he walked up on a hill and started to teach all the people about how to love and thousands came to listen. And all of them had happy in their hearts. And at one point the man gathered all the children around him and hugged each one special so that they would know that they are special. And he taught all the adults to love and act like these children with open hearts and open minds. And he told them that they were the heroes and that the children would lead all mankind to happiness and freedom and love. And each one of you children are just like those children and are special and good and filled with love. Now it is your job to go out and be good and love each other and show us adults how to do it. That is the greatest super hero of all. Now you need to start with your friends and everyone in your family. You have the super power within you to make others happy. Can you do it? Well alright then, go on and get to your duties, go get 'em.

And isn't all of that true?

I am the IronMan and my power boosters are filled with rays of love and sunshine and hope. Just know that you have the super powers to make a difference. They are already in you. We just have to be brave enough to use them for good. And do not think that you are not that person that every child within every one of us can look up to and dream about being like you. And change and save the world.