"You know that day that you once told me about,
What has changed between the 1966 Batman and the Batman of today? Has the Bat lost his mind or morality? His strength or his spirit? Overall: No.
In many ways, the Dark Knight has remained the same. At his core he still believes in "No guns. No killing." and that ""A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy's shoulder to let him know that the world hadn't ended."
But, at the same time Batman seems to be darker than ever. He has lost his humorous flare and blatant goodness. Perhaps, what has changed is his image. In the 1960's they portrayed everything that a hero should be: Noble. Heroic. Someone to look up to. Someone who stands up for morals more than anything else. Someone who would go to any length to do the tiniest good deed.
Now, they portray what a hero would be. They took the ideals and morals of the Adam West Batman and left them how they were. But, they made them rougher and deeper in his soul. Even though Bruce might want to do anything and everything he could for the moral good, due to different circumstances he realizes that he cannot be everywhere at once. He cannot shout out for virtues and justice at every party that he attends as Bruce because he would (sadly) lose a lot of his public reputation. He is still: A good guy. A hero. Someone to look up to. But, only in his personal life (not his character in public). He says that it doesn't matter as much who you are, but what you do.
Everyone does this. It might be to keep from being hurt. It might be in order to be able to control the situations that we are in. They might be reserved because it is all we know or just how we are. It might be to keep from losing public face. No matter why we do it; the fact remains that we do.
Even though we might want to wish to proclaim what is right and what is wrong, we keep our mouths shut. We don't want to look cheesy or weird. We don't want to be the freaks standing against the status-quo of acceptability and unbias. Though this is the way that the world is it is not the way that the world should be.
In a way we should be scolded for not proclaiming the Law and the Gospel consistently and unwavering. But, at the same time there is a time and a place for everything. We are to warn our earthly brothers and sisters of what is right and of what is wrong (if only the Dark Knight Opening Night killer would have been able to know these things), but at the same time we need to listen to what they have to say. If we cannot lead by example, listen to them and hear them so that they may also listen to us, then how far can we really get?
The new Dark Knight is too quiet, allowing the bad to conquer while he stands by knowing better. He should have been a watchman like Ezekiel in chapter 33. The 60's Bat was too cheesy and outspoken, saying goofy things too often so that no one would really heed to much attention to his call.
The modern man needs a balance.
We need to be able to say that Christ died and rose so that we might also have life, but also be able to share that those who do not believe are condemned (John 3:16-17). While, at the same time, we cannot make it into a joke or seem to be the fool ranting about the same thing over and over and over and over *deep breath* and over and over and over again.
We need to lead lives that boast in the Lord and what he has done for us, being an example of who we are and what we believe to the rest of the world. Perhaps the best way to have this balance is to still proclaim Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit in everything we do. But, balance the proclamation between our actions and our words instead of solely one or the other. (We use both!! All the time!!! We can combine how West uses his voice with the way that Bale leads by example.)
For the sake of the world, they need to heed our voices.
But, for the sake of our humanity, we need to share our actions.
We can be more than how Batman would be or should be,
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