When Josh Brolin gave Thanos a humanity, it sent shock waves not only into the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also into ours. That is, when personified evil is torn over killing half the world’s population but sees it as a necessity, his character becomes believable, which is terrifying to watch. After accomplishing what he thinks needs to be done with the help of the Infinity Gauntlet, he does something sentiently human and watches the sunset to toast his success.
Conversely, in the film Watchmen, Doctor Manhattan—a godlike human—becomes distant and aloof from the world’s problems. At the end, he sees killing his own ally, Rorschach, as a necessary evil for the greater good, but feels no remorse. Throughout the movie adaptation of the DC Comics limited series, Doctor Manhattan slowly loses his humanity as he grows into godlikeness.
So what would it be like if God were to become human? Would he behave like Thanos—a nigh omnipotent utilitarian like Doctor Manhattan but with feelings? Would he sacrifice others for his own wellbeing? Or would he sacrifice himself for the wellbeing of others? The good news, and I mean “good news”—based on the Greek word euangelion translated as “gospel”—is that we don’t have to theorize or imagine what God would do if he became one of us, because he already has, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
In Christ we see God face-to-face but without a “God complex” and without sacrificing others for himself. What the Son of God does is so counterintuitive, there’s no superhero to match him. After all, who wants to “empty himself” of his divine power to rid himself of his nemeses by becoming a helpless mortal? But this not only describes his humble status; it also prescribes ours:
“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
Instead He emptied Himself [of His ‘divine privileges’, NLT]
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.”[1]
As we can see, God does not have a “God complex.” Why? Because he knows perfectly who he is and he’s secure with his identity. It seems that self-importance and self-superiority is something we entertain when we fail to grasp our own identity as limited creatures who are contingent on the existence and will of an eternal Creator. Compensating for this character distinction, I believe, is what causes us to behave like God—but not in a good way. This “God complex” is an insecurity that exposes the root of much of our suffering, especially when we treat others as a means to our ends. So let’s imitate Christ in humility and obedience while embracing our mortality and emptying ourselves of our skewed privileges to pursue knowledge and power as idols while sacrificing ourselves for the greater good of others.
[1] Philippians 2:5-8, HCSB.