The Dark Knight

I enjoy the character of Batman. His character has changed through the years, as superheros tend to do. Superheros changed as the needs of humanity changes. When Batman and Superman first made their appearance it was a different world. As the world changed so did our hero's to meet the needs of the people.
I believe it was about 20-25 years ago, it was introduced strongly that Batman would also be called, The Dark Knight. This idea I believe had been around, but not as profound, it became his dominate character description now. If you remember the Batman of the 1960's, you may remember Adam West, working with the city of Gotham, the special red phone, and the cheesy drama, but Batman was a "daylight" character. Going about in the daytime with nothing about it. As the 80's hit Batman profoundly became a character of the night, not working within the law, but outside of the law.

He became, as the last Batman movie proclaims, he is the hero they deserved, but not the one that was needed. He became the shadowy figure of the night. He became the outlaw the city despised, but needed to protect them. Fighting for Truth and Justice doesn't always end with the nice happy bow, as many Superman flicks. The truth about fighting for truth is that its a bloody battle that ends many times in death or being hated.
Tonight in reading the words of Paul in Galatians I came across this:

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Galatians 4:16

If you have read Galatians or remember, the Galatians were being fooled by some slick teachers tricking them. They were falling back into legalism, into trying to earn salvation by keeping the law, something impossible to do and they had been taught that by Paul, and now he is having to call them out on it. He shares his love and concern for them and through the book you can feel his sorrow over this situation, but he is their Dark Knight in this case. He is the hero they deserve, the one needed to call them out. He is not there with them, he is away, and he can't be there, and may even by hated by the job he now must do, but he fulfills that duty.

In being a minister of the gospel, sometimes our role becomes one of a Dark Knight. Having to rebuke and speak truth in love when it doesn't want to be heard and when people don't want your help. It's a hard role to take, the one of the Dark Knight, because you don't get the glory, you don't get the spotlight, you just normally get the gruff. Through your work ground is cultivated and seeds are planted so others may reap and help the fruit grow. Being the Dark Knight you may be hunted, but realize, wickedness always wants to destroy the Truth, wickedness will always accuse the Truth, but the Truth and those who speak it must still hold it out faithfully, even becoming Dark Knights.

The great thing in all of this is that no matter how much we run into the dark being knights of the truth, the light of Christ will radiate and glow. When we hold out the truth into the dark as knights of the gospel, the dark becomes light, the night becomes day, and sin crumbles, death falls apart, and the forces of evil tremble.
We don't walk around with the symbol of the bat painted on our chest, but we walk with the image of Christ tattooed on our soul. The image and the symbol that makes even the strongest forces of darkness fall onto their knees and cry out for mercy from the Consuming Fire, The I AM.

Take heart, you may not be the hero they want, but your the hero they deserve.