But as Denny/The Spirit reflects in one of his soul searching conversations with either himself or his cats, immortality in and of itself really may not be that great. As Octopus knows, to be able to keep coming back from the dead holds within it great power. But as almost every superhero movie out there has taught us, that kind of power also carries with it great responsibility. As The Spirit repeatedly tells us of the city that cries out for his help, "She owns my body and my soul." Add to that the fact that at some point you might rather bite the dust than keep coming back for more, and the idea of carrying the divine power of immortality within a mortal body actually begins to sound like a bit more of burden than a gift.

So why would any of us want that gift? Well, let's just say that when it comes from someone other than a power-hungry mad scientist and exists within a framework of hope greater than just us, it's actually a bit less daunting. Although Christ's gift of immortality isn't exactly like The Spirit's immortal powers (surviving multiple bullets wounds, a sword to the stomach, and a gigantic wrench to the head—probably never going to happen in real life), God does offer us a different kind of immortality through the blood of His son. While God's gift of immortality will not free us from physical death, it offers us freedom from the eternal imprisonment of sin. In the same way that The Spirit relies on his city to provide for him and protect him, so can we rely on God to provide for us as we seek to live beyond sin's control, to protect us from its destruction, and to heal us when we become ensnared in its grasp. In a similar if slightly less psychologically skewed way that The Spirit finds value and place in his service to his city, so can we find a value that cannot be destroyed in the individual abilities, endurance, and strength God has given each of us to serve the world in which we live. And in a spiritual reality in which God has already conquered all powers of evil and offers us the promise of eternity lived beyond its reach, we can all take joy in knowing that our lives are not just a blip on the radar but an integral piece of all eternity.

In this world, each of us has a cry to action to which we will always respond. In this life, all of us have a lover into whose arms we pour our love, time, and devotion. And in a world where every one of us yearns for meaning and purpose and place, someone or something must own our soul. The only question is: Who or what owns yours

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