A little known fact about me is that I love a good super hero story. If I’m flipping through channels or scrolling the Hulu menu, I absolutely have to stop if I find a Marvel movie on. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen it, or how far into the plot it my be, I have to click on it. More than likely it will become the background noise for whatever else I may have going on. If that movie is Guardians (because of Groot) or Spiderman (with Tom Holland) I will have to finish watching it before moving on.

I confess, I know way more of the plot lines than most women of my maturity. I appreciate the suspension of reality for a bit, seeing the supernatural celebrated, and watching good win over evil in the end. However, to understand what makes the good guys and the bad guys bad, the filmmakers will always include the heroes’ and/or the villains’ origin story. They want us to know the backstory that explains why they are they way they are.

Recently, I read a novel aimed for tweens and older. It was the origin story of Snow White’s Evil Queen. In Disney’s original telling, the viewers are not given any understanding as to why the queen is so very jealous of her step-daughter’s beauty. Her past is not explained. It is easy to hate her for what she does to the innocent princess. There is no compassion or understanding for the queen’s plight. However, in this novel, “Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen,” the author gives the backstory and the reader learns of the misfortunes, the circumstances and the victimization that the queen had once endured. The reader understands, and perhaps even empathizes with, the queen because of her origin story.

While watching the political debates continue to play out between social media “friends” of various political and religious views, I wish we could all just a pause a second to consider the back stories of all the views that are being shared. I have read posts from atheists and Christians, Republicans and Democrats, all condemning and vilifying the other. The divisions are deep and drastic. Polite, respectful, loving people are behaving anything but as they “hide” behind their screens and appeal to others who only applaud and agree with what they post.

I have been deeply saddened to see ministry leaders call Democrat leaders heartless and vile because they didn’t stand for a cancer patient. Then I understand when a non-believer wants nothing to do with Christ because of the online antics of those who profess HIm.

As a believer, I believe ALL people possess the “imago dei” or the very image of God. As such, everyone is worthy of respect and, as commanded by Christ, my love. This love should be a 1 Corinthians 13 described kind of love – not earned, not understood, not expected to be reciprocated. It’s this kind of unifying, peace-making love that the non-believing world cannot understand and then perhaps might want to seek out and hear a Christian’s origin story.

Why can I turn the other cheek? How can I respond to my enemies this way? What makes me different?

My origin story includes grace, God’s grace. The unearned, undeserved, unattainable goodness of the Gospel. If not for God’s intervention and amazing gift of grace, my understanding wouldn’t be what it is. I would not have the perspective I have, I could not feel the empathy I feel.

It’s because I know the grace that has been bestowed upon me, that I can give it to others. Because Christ so loved me, I can love others. Because God is patient and forgiving to me, I can be patient and forgiving to others. When I acknowledge and understand my own short-comings and inadequacies in my origin story, I have to respond with the Spirit supplied, supernatural grace that was given to me.

Christ paid my deserved punishment. Christ set me free from my sin – including my self-righteousness. Christ became my origin story – past, present and future.

As I invest and love on others I learn more of their origin stories and gain understanding. I know their hearts and why they feel the ways they do, why they respond the ways they do, and why they live the ways they do.

Sometimes I can tell just by the look in someone’s eyes that their origin story is too long for their years. I can see the emotion or the apathy on their faces to know that something has happened to bring them to the place that they now find themselves.

I don’t have to know the details of someone’s origin story to have compassion on them. I don’t have to agree with them. I don’t have to like what they are doing. But – if I am going to identify with Christ, I have to see the individual. I must leave space for the Spirit to work through me. I am obligated to respond with the same grace that I have been given.

Hear their story. Listen to their side. Demonstrate transparency. Serve unconditionally. Ask why. Seek their perspective – not to change it, or argue it, or condemn it – but because while I was still His enemy Christ died for me. He was patient with me. He lavished grace on me.

So . . He will enter in. He will convict. He will change. He will set free. He will do it.

It’s not my place to judge. He has promised to make all things right. I don’t have to maneuver or manipulate. My postings and musing won’t sway His timings or speed up His plans.

He is the ultimate Author of Origin Stories. So, when I see something, or someone that I want to classify as wicked or evil, let me enter into that space as the peacemaker He has commanded me to be. May I perpetuate unity and not division. May I not be an instrument of judgement but one of healing. I pray that God would give me His eyes to see that one as He sees them – an origin story that is still being written, just like He is still writing mine.