Where are the heroes, and what makes them what they are? We live in a society that often substitutes the symbolic for the substantive, the outwardly impressive for the not-normally-noticed real. If you can brag about how much you’ve give to such-and-such a cause, you are thought to be a real shaker and a mover. If you belong to all of the officially endorsed organizations or clubs, you are considered a conscientious individual, a person who cares. Then, if you head up a committee or give a little extra to some campaign, you are deemed a model of all that is right; you are–for all practical purposes–a hero.
Please, don’t misunderstand. I am not opposed to committees and organizations, nor do I minimize their potential good. What’s more, certain individuals who take the lead in these endeavors are doing admirable work. As such, we might refer to them as heroes.
But, you’ll have to forgive me if I am sometimes a bit cynical. When belonging to the “official” groups or clubs takes precedence over the everyday business of interacting with people, when throwing money at some cause (legitimate as it might be) becomes a substitute for daily compassion, when organizing a drive, fund-raiser, or whatever else we do to create “awareness” of this or that issue is treated as more important than how we treat our neighbors–when these things take place, we have opted for a make-believe kind of existence that forgets or minimizes the things that truly matter most.
Just the other day, I was watching this show on television in which one person was interviewing another about all the good they had supposedly done. They bragged on one another and even showed a sign with all of the other braggers . . . I mean, contributors to this supposedly noble cause. Again, I do not know the motives of these individuals, and I certainly wish them well. Many of them are probably very kind people, true heroes.
Still, the cynical side of me wonders. Why are we so good at organizing this or that, yet a kind person is relatively difficult to find? Why can we show “compassion” by giving money, especially when it’s other people’s money (via legislation?) but don’t have the time to help a needy person that we meet on the street? Why can be muster up all of this energy to orchestrate whatever draws in people and gathers in money, but we have little energy to smile at others or hold open a door or provide a listening ear?
Once again, I should clarify. I am not at all opposed to various positive movements, efforts to mobilize people for a good cause, conscientious attempt to do important things. My guess is that God can be and is involved in many of these efforts.
Yet, for all that, I still wonder what truly matters. I wonder what most concerns God and ought to most concern us. To be honest, I don’t think it’s these great endeavors or all-too-obvious feats of organizational skill that are at the top of the list.
What matters most, I think, and what produces the most heroes, is not the self-aggrandizing “achievements” or the pat-myself-on-the-back exploits. The real stuff is the stuff of everyday life. God, at least it seems to me, wants us to be humble and thankful and compassionate and wise and loving. These, I would argue, are not traits for a moment or temporary manifestations but characteristics of a lifetime. Of course we all fall far short of the ideal, of the perfect paradigm, which is Jesus. But this is what truly matters, and this is where heroes live.
Jesus never organized a program or created a fund for this or that need. He didn’t defend political agendas, suggest new legislation, or start a “do-gooders” club. People were drawn to him, rather, because he spoke the truth and displayed love. Wisdom and compassion followed him, and the presence of God himself was made evident wherever he went.
Again, there is nothing wrong with programs, funds, agendas, or legislation. Properly understood and administered, they all have their place. But what makes anyone a hero is the effort to emulate, however imperfectly and inconsistently, the perfect hero, the Savior of the world.
A hero is someone who looks out for the interests of others . . . expecting nothing in return. A hero is a person who truly (and each day) cares about others and their betterment. A hero is a conduit of divine compassion and love, a bearer of wisdom and truth, a moment-by-moment incarnation of godly integrity.
Where are the heroes? Lord, make us all genuine heroes . . . for your sake and for the sake of those you send our way.
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