Skip to main content
Sojourners
faith in action for social justice
Sojourners
About
About SojournersEventsOur TeamWork With UsMediaWays to GiveInvite a SpeakerContact Us
SojoAction
OverviewTake ActionIssue AreasResourcesFaith-Rooted AdvocatesChurch Engagement
Magazine
Current IssueArchivesManage My SubscriptionWrite for Sojourners
Sections
LatestPoliticsColumnsLiving FaithArts & CultureGlobalPodcastsVideoPreaching The Word
Subscribe
MagazineRenewPreaching the WordCustomer ServiceNewsletters
Donate
Login / Register

You’re Wearing a Cape. Really.

By Joe Kay
Girl dressed up like a superhero, Sunny studio / Shutterstock.com
Girl dressed up like a superhero, Sunny studio / Shutterstock.com
Jul 14, 2014
Share Full Article
Share As A Gift
Share a paywall-free link to this article.
This feature is only available for subscribers.

Start your subscription for as low as $4.95. Already a subscriber?

  • Link copied!
Share This Article
Share Options
  • Link copied!

Do you have a favorite superhero? I’ve always liked Batman. As a boy, I read all the Batman comic books. I like the cape and the cowl, the bat logo, the cool car with the flames coming out the back, the interesting villains.

What I like especially is that Batman is a regular person. Other superheroes fly or run at supersonic speeds or stretch their body parts in ways that are very strange and make you wonder. Batman has none of those powers. He’s like us — well, regular except for the part about being ultra-rich and living in a mansion above a bat cave …

The bottom line is that Batman fights for a better world using the things available to all of us: Creativity. Commitment. Courage. A passion to make a difference someone else’s life.

He reminds me of the super hero in each of us.

Super heroes aren’t special because they can leap tall buildings or shoot spider webs from their wrists or drive bat-winged cars. They’re special because they use their powers — and we all have them — to make the world a more just and love-driven place.

That’s what makes them heroes. That’s what makes them super. They care deeply and they put themselves on the line for others.

And here’s the thing: There are super heroes all around us.

The person who finds the day-to-day patience and love to raise a special needs child. The person who works two or three jobs so their kids can have an education. The person who inspires a child to dream big and then to aspire to live their dreams.

The person who performs some small act of kindness that reminds us we are special and loved for who we are. The person who is going through a tough time yet finds ways to help others. The person who smiles at us even though they don’t know us.

The person who holds our hand when we’re hurting and shares our pain. The person who sees things in us that we may not even see in ourselves. The person who wants to be with us even though they know that being with us will cost them dearly.

The person who loves us no matter what.

Look around. There are super heroes everywhere. Their everyday clothes are their costumes. Their special powers come from a place deep inside them, a place where we intersect with the divine.

Have you ever daydreamed about being a superhero? About being a person who can use your powers to help others, protect others, save others? Have you wished that you could be a superhero?

You already are.

And if you doubt that, just take a minute to think about yourself. See the sacrifices you have made. See the courage that has brought you this far. See the love that you have given and that you have received. See the people whom you love, and the people who love you just as you are.

And see the many strangers that you can touch, too. They need you just as well. Everybody needs someone to come into their life and help them through it. Everybody needs a super hero.

That’s you.

Remember that you have powers well beyond your imagining, powers given to you from above. If you take some time to look at yourself a little more closely, you’ll recognize that you’re wearing a cape.

A cape that fits you perfectly.

Joe Kay is a professional writer living in the Midwest.

Image: Girl dressed up like a superhero, Sunny studio / Shutterstock.com

Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!

Tell Us What You Think!

We value your feedback on the articles we post. Please fill out the form below, and a member of our online publication team will receive your message. By submitting this form, you consent to your comment being featured in our Letters section. 

Please do not include any non-text characters, such as emojis or other non-standard content, into your submission.  It may cause errors in submitting the form.  Thanks!

Don't Miss a Story!

Sojourners is committed to faith and justice even in polarized times. Will you join us on the journey?
Confirm Your Email Address.
By entering your email we'll send you our newsletter each Thursday. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Girl dressed up like a superhero, Sunny studio / Shutterstock.com
Search Sojourners

Subscribe

Login Magazine Newsletters Preaching The Word
Follow on Facebook Follow on Bluesky Follow on Instagram Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Sojourners
Donate Products Editorial Policies Privacy Policy

Media

Advertising Press

Opportunities

Careers Fellowship Program

Contact

Office
408 C St. NE
Washington DC, 20002
Phone 202-328-8842
Fax 202-328-8757
Email sojourners@sojo.net
Unless otherwise noted, all material © Sojourners 2025