WandaVision is a TV mini-series by Marvel Studios. Most of the Marvel productions have thin plots and lots of special effects, but sometimes the story line delves deep into the human psyche. WandaVision is one of those productions that goes deep. Here is a brief synopsis: Wanda is an orphan from Sokovia. She not only lost her parents, but also her beloved twin brother and her soulmate Vision. Vision is a humanoid computer (stay with me) and Wanda is a human with superpowers that she gained through exposure
to a mind stone. Like most people, Wanda is both a hero and a villain, depending on the situation.
In WandaVision, Wanda uses her powers to bring Vision back to life and take over the small town of Westview, New Jersey, which she turns into a sitcom world where she and Vision can live out their lives together and raise a family as if they were “normal people.” Everything is fine until the FBI discovers that there is a forcefield around Westview that keeps outsiders out and insiders in. Inside Westview everything is hunky dory, with simple plots, hokey humor, and a resolution at the end of every episode. But when the FBI tries to infiltrate the town to rescue its residents, Wanda’s fury is unleashed and she protects the boundary with the full force of her powers.
WandaVision is the most vivid depiction of grief I have ever seen. Wanda has endured so much loss that she retreats into a fantasy life where everything is simple and everyone is fine, but nothing is real. A lot of people who have suffered loss go through a similar stage (myself included). It’s as if the grief is so overwhelming that they have to shut off their
emotions, allowing only the most superficial experiences in. When Wanda reacts violently to the intrusions into her make-believe world, she is the image of all of us when we are pushed beyond our emotional limits.
This Marvel series offers insight into what grief can do to us (and for us). Grief is a powerful coping mechanism. It clutters the mind, shuts down the heart, and shapes our reality so that we can survive the most difficult experiences. It is very important to respect the boundaries it erects around a person. But it is not a permanent state. When we are ready, it
will subside; and when it does, it helps to be surrounded by a community that understands and cares. That is one very important function of the church: to walk alongside each other at every stage of this human existence with compassion and understanding so that when the walls come down, we discover that we are never alone.
Blessings,
Pastor Jen