My family recently went to watch the new Captain America movie. Its full title is “Captain America: Civil War.” It is another movie in the line of superhero movies being made by Marvel Comics. To this point my family has enjoyed the movies with their diverse characters and interesting story lines.

This movie was a little different from all the others. There was the typical good guys and bad guys contained in all of the movies. Only this one did not have a super villain with special powers but rather a man named Helmut Zemo. He is simply bent on revenge for the past actions of these superheroes. The story line twists as our band of heroes known as the Avengers begin to fight among themselves. Captain America and Iron Man disagree on the level of accountability the team should have under the leadership of the United Nations. A secret from the past is revealed and Tony Stark and the Winter Soldier are divided against each other. People chose sides and a fight breaks out.

The most powerful scene in the movie for me was a conversation with the villain. He states that he realized he could not defeat the Avengers. After all, they are superheroes and he is just an ordinary man. He decided the best way to defeat them was to get them fighting among themselves. When Everett Ross is trying taunt Zemo and make him believe that he lost, Zemo just responds, “Did I?”

I sat back and watched in utter amazement. The biggest threat to the greatest powers in the world was internal fighting. The villain did not have to come with great power. He just had to pit two groups against each other and evil wins.

My thoughts immediately turned to the Church. We are a group of people united not only by the belief in Jesus but also that he guides and empowers us. What could stop the Church? We have the power of God on our side. Well, perhaps the biggest threat to the Church is also internal fighting.

I believe that Satan does not have to show up in a big red outfit with a pitchfork to scare the people out of the Church. All he needs to do is whisper a secret that is damaging and let it spread. He simply needs to get people fighting among themselves and he has won.

Perhaps people will watch movies like Captain America and be reminded of just how damaging civil war can be, even to the Church. I think that is why Christ prayed in John 17 that the Church might be “one.”