Womder Woman as Theological Figure

As most of my friends and colleagues know I am a collector of Wonder Woman memorabilia from the Wonder Woman television series. I have always loved Wonder Woman. As a kid I watched the show religiously. I remember watching Cloris Leachman play Wonder Woman's mother and Debra Winger appearing as Wonder Girl. I don't know what the draw was for me as a child that had me sitting in front of the TV in my under-roos week after week. But I have a feeling that I wasn't the only little girl in the late seventies dreaming of being Wonder Woman.

Superheroes still fascinate kids and teens. You just have to look at the popularity of Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Smallville. The unfortunate thing is that for most superheroes they use violence to overcome evil, to defeat the bad guys. Justice is through death and destruction.

That wasn't the case for Wonder Woman. She used her lasso of truth and Amazonian strength to capture and restrain the bad guys until the police could arrive and take them into custody. She saw and worked for justice differently. Jesus had a different approach to justice as well. (Read Isaiah 42.1-3)

Now here is where I see a dream come true. Because of Jesus I am able to be Wonder Woman. Don't get me wrong - that doesn't mean I have to do everything, but it does mean I can do all things.

See what you may not realize is that Wonder Woman was just a woman. When she left Paradise Island she was given some really cool gifts that transformed her from Diana Prince to Wonder Woman: a boomerang headband, bulletproof bracelets, truth-telling lasso, and the belt of immortality.



We are just humans with some really cool gifts as well. And we are called to use those gifts in ways that can empower others and bring about justice.

God of Justice and Liberation,
Giver of gifts and grace
Help us to find our inner Wonder Woman
Not the one who takes on the world alone
trying to do everything
But the one who knows that we can make it through anything
because of You, the One who makes us who we are.
Dwell in us and work through us
to bring about the radical justice
that You began in Your Son, Jesus the Christ.
Amen