Symbiotic Spirit

I'm not sure why, but some of the superheroes/supervillains I've found most interesting over the last few weeks have been alien symbionts. These include Marvel Comic's Venom, DC Comics' Blue Beetle, and most recently, DC Comics' Dr. Fate. Perhaps part of the reason I think symbiotic superheroes is a cool idea is that any human being can be a superhero, if paired with the right extraterrestrial. Also, it's interesting to see people interact with another individual inside their heads, trying to decide what they, as a dual-entity, should do.

Inspired mostly by Dr. Fate, I've been making up a superhero with the powers of a Paladin, as granted by a sentient ring who insists that its wearer try to act like a Paladin, but in combat and out. This idea has been fun for me because it allows me to put an honor-bound Paladin in the same headspace as a normal guy who doesn't care about heroism, chivalry, or following the path of light. Their mental conversations have been fun to play out in my mind, and it's been interesting watching the ring try to win its wearer over to his way of thinking. Also, it gave me an excuse to make an under-powered Paladin superhero whose only abilities are super strength, super durability, and the ability to make and use medieval weapons, with possibly a little bit of healing on the side, whereas my other Paladin superhero ideas have been more like DC Comic's Green Lantern in terms of what they could do. I like heroes that are down to earth, so this new guy has been refreshing.

I'm sorry; I've been rambling. I'm tired. I'll get to the point.

The main reason I like this new Paladin superhero is that it's very easy to draw a comparison between the relationship between the ring and its wearer and the relationship between the Spirit and us. The Holy Spirit is, in some ways, an alien symbiont. He isn't native to this world, He can't do much on His own, and He relies on us to do His will for Him. In return, He offers us the blessings of spiritual protection and guidance. It's a pretty good deal for both of us, which is why the symbiotic relationship between man and spirit can work out to achieve wonderful results.

However, just like the ring's wearer, we're sometimes reluctant to do what the Spirit asks of us. We don't always want to do what the Spirit wants us to do. So, we are occasionally in a state of conflict; the natural man v.s. the Spirit of God. We, as dual-entities of bodies and spirits, sometimes end up at war with ourselves.

Maybe that's why I like the symbiotic superheroes/villains: I feel like I can relate to them. I feel like there is more than one part of me, and each part is fighting for control. There are parts of me that want to do well in school and parts of me that want to watch Youtube videos. There are parts of me that want to do what's right and parts of me that want to do what's easy. Even when I can get my selves to agree on a goal, I can rarely decide on a best course of action to achieve it. As with many of the symbiotic superheroes I've seen, the battles I face are internal as much as external.

Hopefully someday I'll learn to listen to the Spirit and let it control most of my actions. While I'm not ready to swear off Youtube, it would be nice if I could convince myself to do what's right more often than not. I won't get any actual superpowers out of it, but spiritual guidance and protection would be more than enough benefits to make it worth it to follow the spirit. Now, if only I could convince myself to do it.