My
wife and I are visiting her best friend in Williamsburg, Virginia. They are
having a girl’s day out leaving me to do what I please. Circumstances would fall my way in what is too great to be
a coincidence because today just happens to be Free Comic Book Day!
Someone left Superman behind on Free Comic Book Day
(or perhaps they forgot to drink their orange juice)
I’m still battling with the idea of whether or my uncle's collection of comic books have been a pleasurable diversion or a spiritual
distraction. But today I had this feeling that God was going to use me
in some way that related to comic books. That would justify my obsession
wouldn’t it?
Free Comic Book Day at Comic Cubical in Williamsburg, VA
I
stood outside a friendly comic book shop with a dozen other fans waiting for
the doors to open. The experience started with a bang as the owner opened the
doors in a cape with one of his teenage workers in full white-body suit
superhero costume which I think was Madman. There were
high-fives all around as we entered. (Funny side story: Madman's costume prevented him from using the register so after a few failed attempts to punch keys with his over-sized gloves he was relegated to wandering the store asking if people needed help.) I waited in line at the table full of free
comics. I grabbed about seven of the comics I had been eyeing up the previous
day on the online list of everything available. I perused the store all the
while trying to be aware of possible opportunities, but nothing seemed to
materialize. I found a beautiful copy of Actions Comics #453 for $2.50! Okay. This could be my spiritual reward for my cosmic good deed today! But no opportunities materialized at the store. Perhaps I should have hit up the wandering Madman with cold-contact evangelism?
I decided that if the opportunity presented itself I'd come back for #453 because there was one free comic book I was looking for that this shop didn’t have and thus my excursion was extend. I traveled to a shop near the place I wanted to go for lunch. This shop had comic artists on site showing their wares which was neat, but the venue had a creepy-not-quite-right vibe. This owner hid the comics behind the counter and only offered 2 per visitor. In hindsight this was probably a good idea to keep from running out, but they didn’t have the one I wanted so I left to find a friendlier land of comics. Alas, I found at the next shop that their supply of comics was all used up.
I eventually returned to the area of the first (and most enjoyable) comic shop, but I was distraught as it seemed I had not made any lasting impact on anyone today. After spending some time doodling in the parking lot waiting for my wife to finish their girl’s day out, I turned to my stash of comic books. I leafed through them all and read a few in depth. I realized the only one that truly captivated me was the Superman free comic. It was oddly right in line with the main character in my uncle's collection of comic books. It seems that I'm being pulled toward Superman despite my recent preferences.
Preach it Jor'El! Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our home;
we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.
As I sat in my car, I felt the urge to give back the other comics. I didn’t need them and my wife would be more than happy for me not to bring back more stuff to collect. I was about to ignore the urge, but I have been reading the book titled the 10 Second Rule teaching me to do the next thing that I’m reasonably certain Jesus would do. So despite looking a little strange I walked back into the comic book store and put back a half dozen free comic books. It immediately seemed to be a good decision because the table was nearly empty and did not have any of the books I brought back. I don’t know who may have gotten those comics (I’m hoping it was the two first grade age boys entered with their parents right after me) or even if they were taken, but I felt like it was what God wanted me to do.
As I left the shop I felt as if I had failed God that day because I did not witnessing to anyone. I didn't pick up Actions Comics #453 because I hadn't earned the reward. But after a while I realized that in the end I we often have grand schemes to instantly converting everyone within sight, but God usually doesn't work in such rapid way. More often than not God just wants simple obedience. In hindsight, I did what God asked when I put back those comic books, so in some small way I believe I accomplished God's will for today.
All comic book images in this post are from
Free Comic Book Day Last Son of Krypton Special Edition #1
Pencils: Adam Kubert