I just read Batman: R.I.P., & it was a really good book (graphic novel). I had read comments online about Bruce Wayne dying in the comics, but either the people posting are trying to confuse people, they never actually read the whole thing, or they were confused by it themselves. It's a really complicated story because the bad guys are toying with Batman's mind in an effort to clone him, & the end it's hard to tell what actually happened & what were implanted memories. From what I can tell, though, Batman is not dead at the end, Thomas Wayne was not a sinister villain, & Bruce Wayne is still Batman.

In addition to keeping you glued to the page, it gives a great summary of all the important parts of the Batman storyline, including Richard Grayson becoming Robin & then Nightwing, Jason Todd becoming Robin & being killed by the Joker, Barbara Gordon being shot & paralyzed, and Tim Drake becoming Robin.

What upsets you?

As American Christians many of us are quick to judge superficial things, but are we bothered by the most important things? Yes, sex outside of marriage is sin, & drinking alcohol is not a good idea because of how it affects you mentally & physically, but is it right to shun people who practice these things? God shows love & mercy! As Christians who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we know better than to practice sinful lifestyles, but people are at different levels in their spiritual growth. I think a lot of people understand this, & some probably take liberty too far, but that isn't the main point I'm trying to make.

What should upset us that doesn't? The Bible is God's Word, & it is completely true! The things that are figurative are obviously figurative, & everything else should be taken literally in context. Does it bother you when people try to make God who they believe or want Him to be instead of who the Bible says He is? Does it bother you when people say certain parts of the Bible aren't true? God is not okay with people belittling Him & His Word, so you shouldn't be, either.

Is Bruce Wayne going to stay dead?

I don't know if Google searches bring up my blog, but maybe if I write about something people care about, more people will read my stuff. I wonder if anybody does read my stuff... Not very many people comment...

Anyway, I haven't read Batman R.I.P. yet--it's in the mail--but from reading other people's blogs it seems that Bruce Wayne was killed & someone will replace him as Batman. It doesn't surprise me that DC is going to kill another main character, but will he stay dead? Superman died, but since he's Kryptonian I think he was just mostly dead. Oliver Queen died & was even replaced by his son, but somehow Hal Jordan brought him back. Hal Jordan died & came back, too. Are we just going to have to wait & see? Barbara Gordon was shot & paralyzed, & she's still paralyzed, so maybe this is for real! (Even though none of it is actually real, is it?)

Remember

I was reading Psalm 77 today, & I could relate to what Asaph was saying. Sometimes when I'm stressed & I cry out to the Lord, I don't feel any better because the circumstances causing the stress haven't changed. There are lots of things that cause stress, & I think there's usually physical sickness or lack of sleep involved. Sometimes it seems like there's no response from God. One thing to keep in mind is that God is eternal, so what seems like a long time to you is no time at all to God. Besides that, God's timing is always perfect, & He knows about factors that you don't know about. Asaph's comforting thought was to remember the wondrous works that God has done. Think about how He has blessed you so far, and trust that whatever the new thing is will work out well, too, at the right time.

What new adventure does God have for you when this chapter is finished?