A Brighter, Brand New Day

by Bryce Morgan

In the emotional climax of the latest Spider-Man film, "Brand New Day", an older and wiser Peter Parker allows the a younger and hurting Jean Grey into his mind; specifically into a memory that has anchored him throughout his difficult journey as a superhero. In this memory, we see Peter's Aunt May sharing with him these words, words he knows Jean desperately needs to hear, especially in this painful and pivotal moment:

You know, this whole thing can get really scary. You know that? It’s already pretty scary. And things can change, like, very quickly, in ways that we can’t even imagine right now... You’re a really special person. And I would hope that that will always make you feel really great about yourself… but I know sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes you’ll be really lonely. And sometimes… because you’re special… people can do dark, monstrous things to you. This is what I want you to know. You’re beautiful… and the people who love you… we love you not because you’re special, love you because you’re you. I want you to remember that. Even when it feels like you’re totally alone. That’s your deepest responsibility.

For a hero whose story was shaped by the words, "With great power comes great responsibility", that final line is significant. For May, Peter's anchor in the most difficult times, when he is using his great power for good, has to be the great truth that he is loved; not loved for what he can do, but for who he is. His responsibility to hold on to this reality of love must go hand in hand with his responsibility to serve others. And because Peter has come to learn that Jean has never had this kind of anchor, he, in a moment of great compassion, allows her to share the solidity and strength of his.

As the viewer goes on to see, this is a transformational moment for both Peter and Jean. When Jean remembers this is a borrowed memory, she tells Peter, "I have no one." In true superhero form, Peter responds, "You have me." After this, everything changes. To be clear, the past does not change. Her deceased sister is not restored to her. The suffering a suffering Jean inflicted on so many people is not forgotten. But Jean is changed, and whatever lay ahead on her path, we get the sense she will face it in the light of a brand new day.

Thankfully for us, the screenwriter's aim in this scene echoes the words of the One who has and is writing the greatest Story; the God who regularly calls his people to remember, especially in the hardest times, and the loneliest times, the reality of the love with which they have been loved. This is one reason Jesus gave his followers a memorial meal, one that pointed and points them back to an incomparable act of love: his loving sacrifice on the cross for them. The love of anchoring relationships, of family and friends, is something for which we should be incredibly thankful. But even more transformational is God's love through Christ. There is nothing more solid. There is no brand new day as bright as the one God offers us. May we feel a sense of responsibility for the reality, to embrace it, and never let it go.

Bryce Morgan is a husband and father, and the founder of Pop Eternal. He's also the creator of the Captain Sun adventures, as well as the author of "Confessions of a Secret Santa".