Why Ms. Marvel, the Superhero Volunteer, Inspires My Christian Family 

Before a driver’s permit test Kamala’s big brother tells her to say “Bismillah” before she starts the car, with the same blend of genuinely affectionate faithfulness and sibling mockery my kid brings to his evening prayers that “sister stop annoying” him. Kamala worships and likes it but also notices what doesn’t work, expressing frustration with the deteriorating facilities and inequality between women’s and men’s spaces at her mosque, with a sigh that echoes a million familiar sighs from every faithful person who has beef with a community they also love. Her Imam Sheikh Abdullah isn’t perfect (see said equality issues), like most of us clergy, but he’s kind and safe and she trusts him, going to him for advice when facing superhero moral quandaries she can’t quite bring to her parents.  

In the subplot closest to my heart, Kamala’s close friend Nakia decides to do something about the issues they have with their masjid and run for mosque board. (Spoiler alert – she wins!) It’s hard to describe how deeply moving and hopeful it was, watching my kids watch a teen in their favorite show do something I desperately hope they one day do – take responsibility for their faith and community and lead it to change in whatever ways they need it to. So much of community is about how we struggle for it, going to the boring meetings and figuring out how decisions are made and chipping away at the everyday bit by bit, to create places where we can experience true transcendence and inclusive belonging, and welcome others into those precious gifts across boundaries and generations.  

But that part of community creation, much like all the little moments of faith that happen while you’re doing homework, or while you’re crushing on a new boy, or why not, while you’re exploring your recently discovered superpowers, are almost never shown in TV and movies. When there are religious characters, they are “Religious,” characterized by dutiful obedience or cruel fundamentalism and not much else. Their religion is their whole personality. With the possible exception of Mindy Kaling of “The Office” and “Never Have I Ever” and Rachel Bloom of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” though neither’s output is particularly kid oriented, there are exceedingly few contemporary writers who write religious characters with religion as it actually happens to most people – alongside and in the middle of the rest of our life.  

So, thank God for “Ms. Marvel.” It was not created with my family’s experience in mind, and there are probably many aspects of its tenderly rendered, specifically Muslim story that we’ve missed and are hugely meaningful to other viewers. But we are nonetheless deeply grateful for the rare experience of seeing the kind of religious life we attempt and want to grow more into every day on TV. Let’s hope there’s more of it, for every kid out there who might one day want to shake things up on their temple or gurdwara or church board – and who wouldn’t mind developing a few superpowers along the way.