Have you ever wished that you were incredibly strong, or could fly, or had some power that made you stand out? I guess most of us have that comic book fantasy at some point in our lives. Heroes is the new cult TV show on BBC2 which draws on our fascination with the idea of superheroes with special powers. It is a comic book fantasy lived out in the real world as ordinary people discover they have extraordinary powers.

The series introduces us to characters who realise that they are different; some can bend time and space, fly, or regenerate, others can paint the future, walk through walls, wipe memories, or even absorb the powers of others. The question for them all is; what is the meaning of this. Why have they been given these powers? What is happening to them and is a bigger purpose to it all?

The answer is that they are to stop an impending apocalypse which will destroy New York. They must work out how to stop it, whilst at the same time trying to stay alive as 'Sylar', another man with special powers, tries to systematic kill and absorb their powers. They must save the world! New York City will be decimated it millions killed unless they can stop it.

Saving the world, not just New York, is a thread that keeps re-emerging from episode to episode; it appears to be their destiny. And as we watch events unfold and the characters powers develop the series poses some interesting questions: Does the world need saving, and if so from what? And to what end, isn’t the world safe just until the next time it is in danger? What would saving the world really look like and how would you go about it?

Jesus said; "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)

Christianity & Culture