Aaron Welty “I know we all think we’re immortal , but what makes life precious is that it ends; don’t waste your time living someone else’s life, fight for what matters” – Gwen Stacy, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
As powerful, memorable, and full of theological significance for life that the afternoon on Lake Michigan was, and continues to be as I reflect on it years later, the “conclusion” of that story was still a little ways off; the euchtastrophe hadn’t ended yet.
Late into the summer of 2005, I endured a “crisis of future” that amounted to an intense afternoon of soul-searching and life evaluation that in years hence I’ve come to call my “Mount Moriah Moment”. This is it’s story…
Recently, a friend who works in the cable news industry shared with me that she was celebrating ten years in Washington, DC chasing the dream of being involved in television doing exactly what she’s doing. While I had heard pieces of this story before – some of it recounted in Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson – what surprised me was the location that served as as catalyst for this journey: the shore of Lake Michigan.
“The essence of heroism is to die so that others can live” – Oliver Queen, Arrow
To the one who is victorious I will give…that person a white stone with a new name written on it; known only to the one who receives it” – Revelation 2:17
When you think of a shield, what comes to mind? A wooden shield used by vikings? A nearly body length shield used by Roman soldiers, like the ones used in the arena in Gladiator? The global security agency in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)?
When an art medium combines with another art medium, or two properties with a medium combine in some way, this is referred to as a “crossover”. It’s something that is often seen in comic books (i.e. the DC/Marvel amalgam run in the mid-late 90’s) and sometimes in television (the Pretender/Profiler universe, episodes between various NCIS, CSI, and Law and Order shows, and the Arrow/Flash crossover in season two of Arrow in preparation for the airing of the Flash pilot later in 2014). It’s very rare however to see movies and television do this, that is until the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s weekly television extension Agent of SHIELD. Earlier this season, audiences saw two “crossover” episodes where aspects of Asgard and the events and characters of Thor: The Dark World played a role in the show. Nevertheless, in recent weeks, the show has tired something slightly different. While tempted to call them “additional crossover” episodes linked to the events of the most recent Marvel Studios silver screen release, I’ve chosen to call the something different: “fallout episodes”.
Author, Speaker, and Super Nerd. Aaron Welty speaks and writes regularly connecting the dots of life, faith, and science fiction. Originally from Michigan, he now lives and works in the Washington, DC metro area.