page forty-six: Of Course I Found Spider-Man Spiritual

Our son and I share a love of Spider-Man. He is an atheist. I am a believer in all faiths. And yet both of us are drawn to the same idea: a person with superpowers who can right wrongs, punish the wicked, and restore peace and justice to a broken world. Perhaps we even share a secret fantasy about such a person. I know I do. I’m not so sure about my son. 

So when we went together to see the latest film, we both thoroughly enjoyed it. I had been initiated into the earlier films this one builds on, so my satisfaction was complete. But there was more.

Several themes in the film struck me as deeply spiritual. Most of them I cannot discuss without giving away spoilers, but there is one that has been public knowledge since the earliest Spider-Man stories, the conflict between Peter Parker and Spider-Man.

Spirituality, for me, simply means a truth that is uplifting and universally applicable. And this one certainly is.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Peter Parker is an ordinary young man with emotions, affections, vulnerabilities, and aspirations. Spider-Man is the version of him endowed with extraordinary powers and called to protect the larger world. At times, Peter Parker's own desires must be sacrificed for the greater good, and the struggle continues until he begins to understand that he cannot live as two separate selves. He has to unite both sides of himself and act from a more integrated place.

If this is already starting to sound familiar, you are getting my drift.

Metaphorically speaking, Spider-Man represents the soul. It carries superpowers unique to each of us, the force that calls us upward, inspiring us to serve, love, and give. This is also the part of us that imagines and creates. Some Eastern philosophers have gone so far as to literally compare a human being to a spider, weaving from within ourselves the intricate web of our relationships and our lives, through our beliefs and choices.

Then there is the Peter Parker in us, our very human side. This is the part of us that belongs to the earth, subject to gravity, with real needs, emotions, fears and dreams. We might call it the ego, though not necessarily in a negative sense. It is simply the self that has to navigate daily life.

For long stretches of our lives, these two sides compete for leadership. At times, we lean so fully into our Spider-Man side, serving, giving, and caring for others, that we neglect our own human needs. At other times, we become so caught up in our Peter Parker stories, desires, and personal concerns, that we are unable to see much beyond ourselves.

In truth, neither side can be banished. In fact, Spider-Man needs Peter Parker's humanity to make a real difference in the world, just as Peter Parker needs Spider-Man's belief in himself and his superpowers to rise above his own limitations. One without the other is incomplete.

The struggle arises because we have not yet learned how to have them work together. Whether within us or in the world around us, this divide will continue until we learn to unite both forces. This uniting is Yoga.

As we left the theater, my mind was buzzing with insights. When our son asked how I had enjoyed the film, I told him I had found it deeply spiritual. He shook his head and smiled. "Of course you did," he said.

But how could I not? All of us are trying to balance these same two forces. We may call them soul and ego, feminine and masculine, yin and yang, inner child and inner adult, or…

… Spider-Man and Peter Parker.