Like many, I jumped on the Marvel Movie phenomenon late in the game. I was visiting my brother in Florida on a rainy day. Our time together was limited, and as far as things to do, going to a movie seemed like the logical option. Avengers Endgame had just come out, and he agreed to go to the theaters for Round Three.
Up until this point, I had watched the movies because they were conveniently showing. My brother caught me up with many YouTube video. I quickly grew in a great appreciation for the thoughtful and creative writing and collision of storylines. I know I am not a true avid fan, loyal to the comic book plots. The movies do their job to entertain.
One of the “lesser movies” reminded me of my theology nerdiness and how an understanding of God colors our perceptions.
The premise behind the character is Antman is that he possesses the technology of a suit capable of making him really small or really large. As with any superpower, there are risks involved. The danger of becoming really, really small, “subatomic,” is that one may not be able to revert to regular size and become trapped in the “Quantum Realm.” It is hard to say what happens there, since one does not come back from such a state.
SPOILER ALERT: At the beginning of the first movie, Antman, we see the scientists responsible for developing this shrinking/ growth technology undertaking a mission to disable a missile. On order to do so, Janet “goes subatomic,” small enough to enter the cracks in the missile’s steel exterior, destroy its wiring and divert its course, saving the target. Unfortunately, she crosses the point of no return and passes into the quantum realm.
This predicament forms the premise of the sequel Antman and the Wasp. Through a series of events, we learn that Janet survived the shrink and resides in the Quantum Realm. Despite undergoing a risky and dangerous journey, facing unfriendly creatures in the process of venturing into the unknown her husband Hank manages to shrink to the subatomic level, retrieve her, and return back to the world as we know it.
In their journey back from the Quantum Realm, Janet comments on how her time in Subatomic changed her, which was proven true with the demonstration of newfound powers of healing.
Ant-Man And The Wasp – The Quantum Realm Scene – YouTube
In 1 Kings, the God tells Elijah to wait for Him in a cave on Mount Horeb.
And He said, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind tore the mountains, ad broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him (1 Kings 19: 9-13)
He came to him in a still, small voice.
There comes the necessity to take the risk and enter into the subatomic of ourselves. Sure, we encounter some opposition, discomfort and challenges. Some of us are uncomfortable with silence. Some of us are uncomfortable with introspection. Often this is because we are forced to face ourselves, including those things that we are not proud of- our weaknesses, failings, inadequacies, sinfulness.
Truth be told, that is not a comfortable place to be. However, it was Socrates that said the “unexamined life is not worth living.”
St. Mother Teresa said, “In the quiet of our hearts, the Lord speaks.” Created in His Image and Likeness, it is possible to encounter God by quieting ourselves and entering into the depths of our hearts, exploring who we are, searching for His imprint.
It is through entering the subatomic of ourselves that we meet God in the Quantum Realm. It is there that we filter through the muck of lies that we believe about ourselves to find God and the truth that He whispers to us in a still, small voice.
In that space of the Quantum Realm, we allow ourselves to be transformed by what resides there, His grace and mercy, His truth and His love.
From there, we are sent, called, to the world and carry out our lives, transformed by Him who we experience in the depths of our hearts. We are given a supernatural quality, a mission to share and spread the Good News of His healing and desire to work miracles in our lives.
May we cooperate with His grace and take that heroic leap into ourselves, as unnatural it may seem, so that we may find His Dwelling Place, His love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (cf. Romans 5:5). May we then, in turn, in experiencing His love, come out of ourselves and make the effort to make His glory known to those around us.