Many people fear the future, they look at the news and see the way the world is going and they dread tomorrow. The “what if’s” and the terror of things that may or may not be, keep them paralyzed and they approach each day trembling at the prospect of going out to meet the world as it is. Everyone feels that way regardless of where they live or their background. Lately, however, a new fear has grabbed hold of people and here in the first month of the new year that fear and its effects have been clearly seen, it’s the fear of oppression.

This fear is not anything new. It’s been seen plenty of times before in many different places and during many different times, one individual rises to power and immediately policies are enacted that disenfranchise one or more people groups because of something that they cannot in any way control or change. This fear has been explored and given a voice in our culture in many ways,
but one of the most well-known examples is the cast of characters whose exploits are published and displayed on the silver screen by Marvel Entertainment, The X-Men. Everyone since the year 2000, has seen the X-Men on the silver screen and understands why they exist, they’re a group of people who are born with powers and abilities far beyond those of ordinary men. For this reason, they are feared and hated by the rest of the world. Despite the constant fear and hatred, the X-Men work to protect the world, promote the idea of peaceful co-existence, and fight for the rights of all humans and mutants. It’s a formula many have seen play out in the theaters for years, but in the year 2015 audiences saw that formula turned on its head in the film X-Men: Days of Future Past, adapted from the comic book story line of the same name.

This film saw the man who brought the X-Men together lose faith in his dream for the future and as a result the world becomes a nightmare with tactics reminiscent of Nazi Germany, people rounded up and placed in camps, marked with a symbol signifying what makes them different, and even killed simply because of their differences. And while the movie itself does have a hopeful ending, trailers and news revolving recent and future projects such as Logan, Legion, and even an untitled X-Men TV show seems to indicate that mutants in general and specifically the X-Men face a dark and uncertain future. This story is something that has haunted the X-Men on the printed page since its publication, every catastrophe, every act of oppression or registration, every act by mutants or humans to spark the flames of war reminds them of the horrible future that could still be. In many ways, we are like that as well, we look at history and the horrible things of the past and we become afraid that it will happen again. So, the moment it appears that someone’s rights are violated in any way to benefit someone else we take up arms against them.

Today we live in fear of the future, we live in fear of terrorists, the current government, bombs, shootings, it’s too easy to descend into despair and believe we are headed for a Days of Future Past-like world. But the best part about all this is that there is hope and it’s in Jesus Christ, God does not want us to live in fear of the future rather he wants us to have a role in shaping it. God doesn’t need us to accomplish his purpose it will happen regardless but God chooses to call us to take part in the great work of redemption he is doing, not just saving the future like in the movies but creating the future that sees all people no longer oppressed by sin and evil but living freely and unashamedly in the presence of God himself. The future may be set in some areas and at a certain point we may indeed find ourselves in a Days of Future Past-like world but as long as there is life there is hope, every day we live and breathe we have a chance to change the future and make it better. It isn’t easy and it’s not something we can do on our own strength and power but it can be done, if you don’t like the way the world is change it, if you live and breathe then what’s stopping you?

Too many people fear the future, they look at the news and see the way the world is going and they dread tomorrow but they don’t have to. The future may be unknown but that doesn’t mean it should be feared, God knows the future and nothing takes him by surprise.  Put your faith in God and you have no reason to fear.  It’s too easy to get caught up in the fear of tomorrow rather than embracing the hope found in it, every second is a gift and we can choose what to do with it. The world has enough people stuck under the fear of the future and oppression, it needs some that are willing to stand up and live to make things better, which will you be?