Today's Scripture Reading (July 14, 2026): Jeremiah 17
As a kid, I loved superhero shows. I loved
the "Adventures of Superman" with George Reeves (although I have to
admit that I am too young actually to remember the original run of the 1950s TV
series; I had to be content with the reruns of the show more than a decade
after the last episode of the series was shot), and I was infatuated with Adam
West in "Batman." (For those who might be wondering about my "Spiderman"
addiction, both George Reeves and Adam West predate my "Spiderman"
days.) So, when I was still too young to go to school, one of my favorite
activities was to grab a towel, pin it around my shoulders, and pretend that I
was one of the heroes I had watched on television.
Looking back, I still love my superheroes, though
I hope I now have a much more balanced view of the role models of my youth. But
one thing I have noticed is that the characters in the shows of my youth were
fixated on the stories' heroes. In Gotham City, when trouble struck, it was not
Marines who were called in to handle the situation; it wasn't the S.W.A.T. Team
or even extra off-duty police officers who were requested to come to the rescue.
The first response was to run to the roof and activate the "Bat Signal,"
calling the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder into the situation. No one else
would do. And in the "Adventures of Superman," Lois Lane never called
for the police when she was in trouble; Lois simply whispered the name of her
hero, Superman. There was no one else who could do the job, not even the pining
Clark Kent who wanted nothing more than to hear Lois call his name. But as far
as Lois was concerned, no one but Superman was able to come to her rescue.
Jeremiah has also fixated on his hero, God.
In the midst of Judah's trouble, Jeremiah and the officials of the nation held a
deep mistrust of each other, and of the enemy about to appear on the doorstep
of the city in which he lived. As a result, there really was no other authority
to whom the Prophet could run. If Jeremiah was going to be healed, there was no
one else who could heal him. If Jeremiah was going to be saved, the only name
that could be whispered was that of his God. And the same was true for the land
of Judah.
Most of us who grew up with our Superheroes
have watched them tarnish over time. At some point, we found out that the Bat Signal
only works in Gotham City, and Lois is the only one whom Superman seems to hear.
George Reeves and Adam West have both lost their races against a speeding
bullet. But the God of Jeremiah remains. He is still the only one who can heal
and save.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 18
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