When I was a kid, I watched a TV show called The Incredible Hulk starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, which ran from 1977 to 1982. The show revolved around a mild-mannered scientist, Dr. David Bruce Banner, accidentally exposed to gamma radiation during a laboratory experiment. Now, whenever Banner experiences stress or anger, he turns into a seven-foot-tall green monster that wreaks havoc in Banner’s life. As a result, Banner becomes a fugitive, hitchhiking from town to town, hiding those seeking to capture him.
The show’s crux is a misunderstanding about who The Hulk is and why he emerges. The Hulk is not a menace. Instead, he is a gentle giant who only destroys or wreaks havoc to protect Banner and those Banner is trying to help. And The Hulk is not some monster who takes over Banner’s body; The Hulk is Banner’s emotions amplified. The arc of the show, the comic books, and the movies that The Hulk appears in is the story of Banner discovering the truth about The Hulk. The Incredible Hulk is about Banner discovering who The Hulk is and what he is like and then learning to live in a relationship with him; the tension and the story resolve when the misunderstanding is removed.
Misunderstandings cause a lot of problems in relationships. When we misunderstand each other, it keeps us from getting to know each other. When we misunderstand each other, it impacts our communication with each other. Misunderstandings cause us to become guarded instead of open with each other. And misunderstandings cause us to judge rather than love each other.
This weekend we want to clear up some misunderstandings about God. This Sunday we are continuing our series called “The Creed: What We Believe.” In this series, we are exploring the beliefs we share as followers of Jesus. We are talking about why these beliefs matter and how these beliefs should shape the way we live today. This Sunday, we’ll be looking at the first thing we confess as a follower of Jesus: We believe in God.
Our understanding of God shapes the way we relate to him. Often what keeps us from knowing God and living in a relationship with him are misunderstandings we hold about the nature and character of God and about what it means to know God. I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we explore what it means to know God and clear up some of our misunderstandings about living in a relationship with him.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Kirk
