The Making of a Real Superhero: Living a Wholehearted Life
Being Resilient
1 Samuel 25:1-44
Rev. Joe Cobb, MCC of the Blue Ridge
10.19.2014
On the heels of the Great Depression and the eve of the world’s second war, a
superhero like none other was introduced through the pages of a comic.
The character was Abigail “Ma” Hunkel.
She was married to “Hunk” Hunkel, and had two children, Huey and Cisty. Ma was a
5’10”, 230 lbs, “tough-talking, no-nonsense wife and mother, living in a poor innercity neighborhood.” She usually wore a yellow polka-dotted blouse, black skirt, redand-black striped stockings, sensible brown shoes, a pillbox hat decorated with
flowers, and frequently a white apron.
Shortly after taking over a local grocery store, Ma was confronted by mobsters, who
tried to “shake her down for protection money,” and she took care of them in quick
order and sent them running.
But, this didn’t stop the corruption, and the police were too timid to investigate.
So, Ma decided to take matters into her own hands. Inspired by her children’s talk
of the Green Lantern and his costume, she decided to make her own costume, and
chose a pair of red flannel long-johns, green shorts, a yellow top with a red funnel
cloud sewn in the center, yellow shoes, and a black cape. On her head, to protect her
identity, she wore a bucket, with holes cut into the metal for her to see the foe.
Her name? The Red Tornado!
Ma was so formidable in size, strong and sassy, that most villains thought she was a
man, throwing everyone completely off.
“She was also surprisingly nimble for a woman of her size, and could often be seen
climbing up the side of a building in order to make a dramatic entrance through the
window. While she enjoyed her role as the Red Tornado, and saw the usefulness of
it, she was also well aware of the inherent absurdity of dressing up in costume : “I
dunno how Superman does this day in an’ day out — but one thing I kin say — it’s a
heck of a way to earn a livin’ !”
She couldn’t tolerate anybody picking on the vulnerable. She was an advocate for
justice, and one of her best know lines was: “I’m just in th‘ mood to give ya some
trouble!”
You might say, that in the face of trouble, whether directed at her, or the underdog,
Ma was resilient.
She looked adversity and injustice in the eye and faced everything with courage and
tenacity.
Ma’s character was created during a time in our history when crime was high, war
was devastating lives, and the Nazi’s were taking countless innocent lives. People
needed an ordinary person, with extraordinary qualities, to connect with: someone
who could look evil in the face and say, “no more!”
+++++
Centuries earlier, in the land of Carmel, David who would become King of Israel, was
on the run from Saul who wanted to take David’s life. David was traveling with large
troops, and because it was the season for shearing lambs, David knew it was a feast
season, and so he sent messengers to Nabal, a wealthy man of the region, to please
send provisions for his own troops.
Nabal was arrogant, mean and surly. He had no desire to help David, but only to
keep what was his.
He sent the servants away empty handed, and when David heard the news he was
filled with rage.
While he was plotting to take Nabal’s life, the household servants went to Nabal’s
wife, Abigail, and told her what happened.
Abigail was savvy, smart and beautiful. She was also decisive. She rounded up the
servants, prepared provisions for a feast, and behind Nabal’s back, took the feast to
David and his troops, as an offering of hospitality and peace.
She knew that taking Nabal’s life would endanger David’s rise to the kingdom; she
also knew that the foolishness of her husband would get him in trouble, and leave
her widowed.
Through her resilience, she brought peace to a hostile situation, and made the way
for a brighter future for David and for herself.
When she went and confronted her husband, after he had sobered up from his
gluttonous feast the night before, telling him what she had done, “his heart died
within him; and he became like a stone.” Ten days later he was dead.
David, of course, became king, and Abigail became his wife.
+++++
Abigail “the Red Tornado” used her bucket to veil her identity while restoring justice
to the poor and vulnerable.
Abigail “the peacemaker” used her metaphorical “bucket” to deliver food and
provision, resolve a violent situation non-violently, and save a kingdom.
Both of these women used their deep-down resilience to call forth their imagination,
courage, and tenacity to break open what was mean and sinister, and create
something pleasing and beautiful.
+++++
We are all resilient. Some of know this because of adversity we’ve faced. Some of us
are experiencing it in the challenges we are facing today.
What does resilience look like in us?
In her fantastic book, “The Gifts of Imperfection,” Brene’ Brown talks about five
characteristics she’s discovered through interviews with countless people:
1. They are resourceful and have good problem-solving skills.
2. They are more likely to seek help.
3. They hold the belief that they can do something that will help them to manage
their feelings and to cope.
4. They have social support available to them.
5. They are connected with others, such as family or friends.
Underlying each of these is something deeper and greater: Spirit. The Spirit that
undergirds and reinforces resilience is a resource from God, one of those awesome
superpowers that each of us embody.
Early in her first grade career, our daughter, Ginny, came home and proudly
announced: “Papa, today we learned what it means to be a bucket filler! When you
say good things about someone or do a good thing for someone you fill their bucket.
When you say bad things about someone or do something bad to them, you empty
their bucket.”
Which one do you most like to do, Ginny?
I like to fill buckets!
Don’t we all?
And don’t we also like to have our own buckets filled?
Some of us are carrying buckets, overflowing with goodness and blessing.
Some of us are carrying buckets that seem drained by the adversity and pain of life.
Yet, the truth is we all have buckets.
And, when we look deep, deep within the soul of who God created us to be, there in
the heart of our bucket is one thing that no one can take away: resilience – the gift
and power of knowing that God is with us.
I don’t know about you, but knowing this, I’m ready to go back out into this wild
world of ours and fill some buckets.
Amen.