Since that time, I have of course come to realize that astrology — like so many mystical and New Age teachings — is a load of bunk. But, for a number of years, it held enormous appeal for me, because it helped quell my anxieties.

Astrology made me feel powerful; it gave me a sense of control. If I could just interpret the stars correctly, I would know what was coming at me — I could be prepared. Computer crashed? Must be the planet Mercury rising. Challenges communicating with a co-worker? It’s because they were born under a constellation that makes them bullheaded and proud. (Couldn’t possibly have anything to do with my attitude.)

All of this came to mind recently when I saw the description for a group on Facebook called the New Thought Movement.

According to Wikipedia, the New Thought Movement “is comprised of a loosely allied group of denominations, organizations, authors, philosophers, and individuals who share a set of metaphysical beliefs concerning healing, life force, visualization, and personal power…. It promotes the ideas that God is all powerful and ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human self-hood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, all sickness originates in the mind, and ‘right thinking’ has a healing effect.”

In other words, it promotes the idea that we, as humans, hold divine power — that we can be God simply by “right thinking”.

Like astrology, Tarot, and Wicca, the New Thought Movement — and so many other mystical teachings — offer believers a sense of control and empowerment by promising that they can know and do things beyond normal human ability, whether through controlling their thoughts or casting spells or interpreting the signs correctly.  By working the magic formula, we can govern our environment, the people around us, and diseases that plague our bodies.

(Why do you think the Harry Potter series is so wildly popular? Wouldn’t we all like to discover our secret wizardly abilities?)

The truth is, we do have the power to heal our bodies and to achieve our goals and to receive immeasurable blessings in our life. But, that power is in Christ Jesus — not in our minds or our will or mystical practices.

Scripture tells us in Matthew 24:11 that in the last days, “many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” Of course, mystical teachings are nothing new, and who knows whether we are in the last days. But Jesus and his disciples repeatedly caution Christ’s followers not to be deceived or led astray.

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

That last line is the clincher: They refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

There is really just one answer to this riddle called life. There is one truth — not many truths, not variations of the truth. One truth.

But, guess what? When we put our faith in Christ Jesus, he gives us the power and authority we so deeply desire. He hears our prayers and works miracles in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, we can heal the sick and raise the dead. And, God promises to pour out his blessings on his people — as long as we are walking in his will and are obedient to his commands.

Obedience. Submission. If we are willing to give up control and put our faith in something outside of ourselves — something far greater — then we DO have power. We have authority. We have salvation. And we have eternal life.

It’s as if, in our collective consciousness, we secretly hope that a mysterious stranger will come swooping in and save us from society’s ills. As a nation, we long to abdicate responsibility for our current state of affairs and instead look for a mystical bail-out package wrapped in a flowing cape. We want a crime-fighting vigilante with super human strength, an iron will, and perhaps a few cool gadgets to deal with the drug lords, gangbangers, and scheming sociopaths all around us.

But, this Christmas season is a reminder that the ultimate superhero has already come, and still walks with us today. He’s not an undercover agent or a radioactive monster. He is God made man — the King of King and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

It’s hard to imagine that the helpless infant born in a manger some 2000 years ago is the Savior for whom we have all been yearning. He was a carpenter, not a covert operative. He never carried a weapon, never beat up a bad guy with his bare hands. But, he overcame the world. All our sin, all our shame. We are made clean by his sacrifice – if only we will believe.

Ay, there’s the rub.  Because for all our fantastical visions of celluloid superheroes, millions still turn away from the one who came to save us. Christ is merely a myth, they say; only the feeble-minded believe those old stories.

Why don’t they accept that Jesus is our Savior? Because it’s hard. Unlike the Hollywood heroes we hope for, Christ holds us accountable. He offers salvation, but the price is submission. And, in our fast-paced, gratification-driven, socially networked world, it’s hard to imagine that we’re not the center of our universe. Scripture tells us to play by his rules — to obey Christ’s commands. Obey? Commands? This whole Christianity thing sounds more like a dictatorship.

Except that Jesus’ principal command is this: Love each other.

What dictator ever demanded that?

If you think about it, if everyone followed this one command – this one simple plea – we wouldn’t need a superhero. If we loved each other the way that Jesus loved us — through service, grace and mercy — there would be no crime, no violence, no emotional neglect or physical abuse. There would be no greed, no prejudice, and no self-centeredness. If we really understood and put into practice what Jesus calls us to do, then we would see that he truly is our Savior, wanting nothing more than to save us from ourselves.

Instead, we spend our days griping about government bail-outs as we wring our hands over our own mounting credit card debt. After a hard day’s work surfing YouTube and sending text messages, we swipe a pack of Post-It Notes from the supply room, then spend $4 on a cup of Starbucks. We hide in our homes at night and watch riveting dramas about adultery and homicide to unwind, and just before bed, we secretly peek at online porn, forgetting that the girl splayed out naked for our entertainment is someone’s daughter.

We hope for a hero, and all this time, our true hero is hoping for us. Phillipians 4:19 assures us: “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. God promises that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28), and that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved (Mark 16:16).

He promises to give us hope and a future, if we will just believe. This Christmas, don’t look to the movies for a miracle. Look to the baby in the manger, who is the only hero we need.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
– Isaiah 55:6