Age of Ultron | Super Inc.

***Spoilers??

 



 

“When we are seeking for the real merits of a man it is unwise to go to his enemies, and much more foolish to go to himself.”[1] I would suggest instead that to understand a man, you must search for what inspires him.

 As I dig into G.K.C.’s Heretics, I am reminded of The Avengers. It just hit the box office hard these past couple of weekends and I can’t help asking what people liked about it. Their answers tend to be more revealing than I thought. “Scarlett’s choice to fight or hide” is said by a strong woman. “It’s hilarious when Tony Stark is giddy for a secret door,” chimed someone with a great sense of humor. I agree, both of those scenes are awesome. But, my favorite scene comes from something else.

There he is, robed, sitting in his throne like royalty. His face is hidden, but is still the center of the city, the center of the world. Ultron waits for the twins to meet him and he greets them as a god. Likewise, Vision, upon his birth when asked for identity only replies with… “I am.” These two scenes echoes portions of the Western Past. A story long sought after and accomplished, a tale of a savior promised since the dawn of time unfolds… a savior who calls himself “I am…” a savior who becomes the center of our lives. Yet, as the savior is recounted, other things take his place… tradition… loyalty… dogma… ego… all have their turn on the throne.

These scenes remind me of the gods we create… the metals in our image… in our likeness… gain our respect. From Siri to the Vision, what man can accomplish, what man can create, takes place of the One who created man. Whether it is a physical creation, the betterment of mankind, or an inner change, the betterment of oneself… we tend to put something else in the spotlight… someone else in the spotlight. Natalie Portman was right.

If what we can do becomes our only inspiration, the rest of the world will fall apart around us. As our idols become our gods… “The moment we care for anything deeply, the world—that is, all the other miscellaneous interests [our job, our friends, our family, our Lord]—becomes our enemy.”[2] What is worth losing the rest of our world for? Only God.

 
[1] G.K. Chesterton’s Heretics, 15.
[2] Ibid., 17.