Whether or not you’ve seen the new hit movie “Wonder Woman” you will appreciate the spiritual ideas that came Ingrid Peschke as she was viewing it. She poses the idea that we, also, can become a “Wonder Woman” or a “Wonder Man” when we identify with spiritual qualities, rather than gender labels. “Wonder Woman Film Busts Stereotypes and Got Me Thinking Spiritually,” was first published on June 30th 2017 in the Huffington Post.
When I was seven, my mom dressed up as Wonder Woman for a costume party. A photo of her taken that night was taped to our family’s refrigerator for years. There she stood striking her best superhero pose in knee-high boots, hands placed confidently on star-studded shorts with a gold band on her forehead and cuffs around her wrists.
This image served as a symbolic reminder to me that, costume or not, I could face adversity and limitation with dominion and strength, confidence and grace, just as Mom did in her life.
I also grew up watching the iconic Linda Carter television version of the comic book character, so naturally I had a seat for the opening night of the recent blockbuster film, Wonder Woman. Finally an action movie that successfully proved to audiences that a female superhero is perfectly able to conquer evil without relying on sheer muscle and violence.
The film explores Wonder Woman’s origins as Diana, princess of the Amazons, who is both an adept warrior, trained solely by her all-female tribe, as well as a compassionate, witty and intelligent woman who can converse in countless languages. The film’s director, Patty Jenkins, highlights the importance of love and kindness and brings context and warmth to the Wonder Woman character, convincingly portrayed by Israeli actress Gal Gadot.
I came away pondering, as I often do, spiritual truths, including the qualities women bring to the table in facing adversity in our world today. Women who occupy prominent positions in government, business, artistic, and religious life, and those who make great sacrifices to raise their families have unique opportunities to bring peace and solutions to otherwise intractable situations.
The film brought to mind the phrase “…woman goes forth to battle with Goliath.” It comes from a book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, that has helped me surmount my own battles over the years. The author, Mary Baker Eddy, faced down real adversity in her own life, including illness, poverty, near death, widowhood and estrangement from her only son, to eventually become the founder of a worldwide Christian religion. Even then, the obstacles kept coming at a time when women hardly had a voice, let alone a place in the pulpit.