Heroes model for us. Because of their inner qualities, they respond to life situations with integrity and perseverance, giving far beyond the norm of what would generally be expected. Those of us who stand apart from them and watch, are challenged by what they accomplish. Heroes are not “born,” but they are fashioned by the rawest of life materials. We all witnessed a broad spectrum of heroes when terrorists fatally struck America. Some of those heroes died and they were never able to tell their own stories, but from fire fighters, police officers, medical personnel, office workers, and civilian volunteers, the stories of heroes emerged from the wreckage and carnage of September 11. Simultaneously, I was watching heroes born of different raw materials. I was watching a brother die prematurely from the terror of cancer. He was a hero to his wife, his daughters, and even to his mom, as his ravaged body fought back until his last breath shuddered from his one remaining lung. Those who stood beside him were heroes too. With love and courage, they fought beside him as they gave, and gave again, while their hearts cried out in prayer. His funeral, not far from the site of the World Trade Center, was the day before the terrorists attacked. A family’s grief was distended as they chose to grieve for countless and unknown faces, while their own sorrow beckoned to them from an eerie silence. I honor their heroism as well.
I truly believe God calls all of us to be heroes – to give, to support, to understand, to love – when life is at its rawest, but even when life can seem very ordinary. Giving – when it would be easier to just think of myself. Supporting – when convenience is stretched or dismantled. Understanding – when the thinking of another is so different from my own. Loving – when the recipient is being very unlovable. I think most parents want to be heroes in the eyes of their children. Spouses thrive on being given the status of a “hero.” But, to be a hero in the eyes of another requires selflessness and a commitment to the good of another. To be a hero when life is at its ugliest, means to be unstained by that ugliness. It means to find my source of enablement and purpose in the presence of God, to the extent that I find the freedom to live above my circumstances.
Not pretending. Really loving. Holding tightly to what is good. Delighting in honoring each other. Patient in trouble. Ready to help. Living in harmony. Doing all you can to live in peace with others. Feeding our enemies. Conquering evil with good. Those are some of the admonitions Paul gave to the Romans when he encouraged them to be heroes as they met the common and the uncommon of their daily lives.
(Related Bible reading: Romans 12:9-21)
