Captain America: The First Avenger and Five Connections of Faith

Captain America: The First Avenger was released fifteen years ago. This was the concluding buildup to the first Avengers movie that was released one year later. The movie coincided with the 70th anniversary of the first comic’s release to the public domain.

Captain America correlates many messages of faith that the main character can teach us all. Some of them are humility, servant-leadership, and the courage to stand for truth.

Humility

Steve Rogers was a scrawny kid who grew up in Brooklyn. He was often bullied and was also stricken by many ailments as he got rejected repeatedly by the military.

Despite his frail health, he displayed unmatched bravery and a desire to do what is right, even if others think it is not. Proverbs 15:33 states that "humility comes before honor." This humility that Rogers displayed is the humble and servant God that God always yearns for all of us.

True Strength from Within

Dr. Abraham Erskine chose Rogers to take part in the Super Soldier experiment. He believed that the project could turn the tide of the war in Europe.

In one scene, Dr. Erskine explained to Rogers why he was chosen. He tells Rogers, “The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great; bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because the strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows... compassion.”

The serum is a visual metaphor for the Holy Spirit. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Like the serum, our faith in God empowers us to do good.

Radical Self-Sacrifice

During boot camp, Steve threw himself on top of a dummy grenade while the rest of his platoon dispersed for cover. This shows that he was willing to show humble stewardship.

Christ said in the Gospel of John, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” His heroic act reminds us that self-sacrifice is essential in our faith life.  

Standing Firm

Steve refuses to compromise his morals for the sake of convenience. Instead, he tends to break ranks to not follow the crowd.

When he was on a tour to sell war bonds, he got to the point that he wanted to do more.

Acts 5:29 reminds us, “we must obey God rather than human beings." Even when society and culture change, our faith in God will never. We are called to stand firm and give a voice to those who don’t have one.

Faithfulness and Endurance

From the back-alley bully to the Red Skull and others in between, Captain America/Steve Rogers took a beating. He could’ve easily given his oppressors whatever he wanted. Instead, he stood tall and never backed down. His iconic rallying cry, “I can do this all day,” demonstrates his steadfastness and determination to keep going.

As people of faith, we are called to persevere when things get rough. Galatians 6:9 reminds us, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." His example of endurance is an example of enduring the good and bad while continuing to press on.

Captain America fought for truth, faith, and the strength within him. He shows us that we must never compromise or give up when it gets hard.

The movie is a 4 out of 5.