I have always been "team Cap" when it comes to the events of Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers 2.5 movie that witnessed the divide of the Avengers' empire after a fight over who is in true control of the Avengers' actions.
Steve Rogers led the charge for the camp that believed taking responsibility for your own actions is more important than being put in check and allowing an institution with its own ulterior motives to dictate what you do. Just that attitude alone shows how much honor and integrity Cap has.
The scene that has the strongest ties to Christian themes and messaging is during Peggy's funeral. Sharon Carter speaks maybe the most important Christian message for the present day, especially with the real-world political climate we're in right now.
Sharon quoted Peggy's response to how she handled herself in such a tough climate of espionage, especially for a woman, during her career. Peggy said, "Compromise where you can, but where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No. You move.'"
Such a simple, yet powerful, statement. In our society today, we are witnessing a total resetting of morals, values, and truth. We are in an era when people are groomed to believe they can have their own truths in life that work for them, even if those truths don't work for others. I've heard so many people say "My truth is my truth." Today, what is right and good one day can be deemed hateful and intolerant the next day.
Decades ago, divorce was a shameful act. Foul language wasn't really tolerated on TV. Kids were actually disciplined, not enabled to feel entitled. Through the years, tolerance of what is wrong continued to pervade our culture more and more. Nowadays, it's becoming impossible for a Christian to speak their beliefs on heavy-hitting truths such as gender and sexuality without being labeled as homophobic and hateful. It's amazing how the idea of having your own truth seems to not apply when it comes to Christians. Christians are the ones who feel the heat. In just the past few years, we have witnessed the persecution of more Christians worldwide than we've seen in a long time. Some reports suggest the total is more than 350 million Christians just because of their beliefs.
Now, this isn't excusing all behavior of Christians. Certainly many Christians do mistreat other people for having different beliefs, and I hate that. To me, those people should stop calling themselves Christians. I wish I could talk to all those out there who are against Christians simply because of the poor examples they've seen from so-called real Christians. That's why I want to show the true love of Jesus every day (again, I'm not perfect at this by any means), because I never know when someone who doesn't believe in Christ or has had bad experiences in a church somewhere may be watching what I do or reading what I write.
But the power of Peggy's statement in that scene still rings true. "Compromise where you can, but where you can't, don't." Believing in Jesus means believing in both his grace and his truth. Even when it seems completely politically incorrect, Christians can't compromise their religious values and beliefs (again, only when those beliefs are founded and implemented correctly). But Christians are called to show love to everyone just the same, even those who don't agree with us.
Later in the scene, when Natasha and Steve are the only ones left in the church, Natasha is pleading for Rogers to sign the Sokovia accords. She tells him "Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together."
That's a tough statement to grapple with. Again, yes, showing love (not just tolerance, but real love) to everyone is crucial, but what then? Real love doesn't mean turning a blind eye. There comes a point in everyone's life when they will need to decide what they believe, not just because society tells them what to believe, or because of peer pressure, or because they fear the judgment that others may cast on them (cancel culture, anyone?). Everyone needs to own truth for themselves. The Bible says "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Why is that true? Because it's easier for everyone to make up their own truths or to just go with the crowd for fear of getting canceled for rocking the boat. The scripture is also true because society's point of view one day might not be the same the next day; there are far more lies masquerading as truth than the one actual truth.
The Hulk is my favorite superhero, but Steve Rogers is my favorite character in the MCU in part because he sticks to his guns. He doesn't back down from what he believes despite the pressure around him to do so. And that speech at the funeral is one of my all-time favorite line in any movie, not just superhero movies.