What do Superman, Aquaman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Ant-Man, Iron Man, Spiderman, and a host of other Superheroes all have in common? Answer: they are make-believe men who don’t exit! They are artificial heroes presented by our culture who, for many young men, are becoming their real heroes. And to top it off, they are often portrayed as anti-heroes by their actions and motives. Our culture consumes the ‘Superheroes” movies and books into billions of dollars, and there is unlimited time spent analyzing and studying their every move. Books are written, websites are devoted, and podcasts are unlimited in interpreting and promoting these fictional characters. As a boy, I followed the escapades of Superman and Batman. Fantasy heroes can be entertaining! But, as Paul wrote: ” “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

From my observation, these childish superheroes occupy much too much space. The real superhero of this world is FamilyMan, who dedicates his life to the happiness of his children, wife, and society. This man goes about the mundane duties that bring joy to others without complaint and often without praise. I know that FamilyMan exists because my father was one. But I rarely see characters like him in any movies or talked about. He isn’t sung about very often. He is most like another fictional character, the Invisible Man! And that’s a shame. Because what would be helpful to our culture is to highlight and praise FamilyMan. Because he is real and he could bless the lives of us all. Little boys should grow up knowing that FamilyMan is a superhero to aspire to become! They can become superheroes to their kids, wives, friends, and the world! How exciting!

The wonderful thing is that there isn’t just one ‘FamilyMan” on the earth. There are millions of them on the planet. Are they ‘able to leap tall buildings in a single bound or are they more powerful than a locomotive?’ No! But they can build them. And that is really something to marvel at!

So don’t delay, give your superhero a hug today!