Here's a fun question to ask yourself, family members (especially children) and people you cross paths with but don’t really know:
When you think of a “hero”… who comes to mind?
I think the answer to that question will vary considerably from person to person and depend upon the respondent's age, gender, ethnicity, and to a large extent, their interests. If you’re a parent, try asking your child who their hero is or who they think of when you say the word “hero.” You might be surprised at their response. (I’ll bet there’s more than a few 12 year-old girls out there who would name Taylor Swift.)
First... to set the context for this brief and highly unscientific sociological experiment... you might want to start by defining the word: hero. What exactly is a "hero?"
According to ChapGPT.com, a hero is:
“Someone who demonstrates exceptional courage, strength, or nobility in the face of adversity. Heroes often put the needs of others before their own, and their actions typically involve risk or sacrifice. The concept of a hero can vary widely depending on cultural, historical, and personal contexts. In literature and mythology, heroes might perform great feats or embark on epic quests. In real life, heroes can be ordinary people who make extraordinary contributions, like rescuing someone in danger, standing up for what's right, or dedicating their lives to helping others.”
That’s a pretty good definition. (And cause for more than a little anxiety about our future in the era of generative A.I.; but that’s a topic for another post.) Let's go with that.
Can a hero be fictional? Or does it have to be someone who actually lived? I think heroes can be either. What an interesting response to such a poll that would be: Do Americans have more heroes from literature & film or more from history?
Odysseus is often identified as the first “hero” of Western literature. In Greek and Roman mythology, he was the legendary king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer’s epic poem, "The Odyssey." He also played a key role in Homer’s Iliad and was deemed one of the first culture heroes whose adventures would've been listened to and passed along orally as entertainment. He would have been well-known by the Greek-speaking world for hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, and demonstrated numerous character traits that would have been admired in that era: brave, tough, crafty, intelligent, athletic, wise, cheerful and eloquent.
I doubt the majority of Americans under the age of twenty would even know who Odysseus is, let alone name him as someone who comes to mind when asked about the word “hero.” But I guarantee they all know who Superman is. Also a literary creation whose fictional superpowers and exploits are well known across the English-speaking world, Superman is probably the most iconic comic-book hero in the world. But can young people today really relate to Superman?
I asked my thirteen year-old son who he thought of when I said the word "hero" and he answered: Spiderman. It was surprising to me that a major league baseball player, NFL star or other sports figure didn’t come to his mind first. He must relate more to Peter Parker than he does to Elias Diaz. (If you don’t know who Elias Diaz is… that’s okay; no one outside the state of Colorado does either.)
Humans have a long history of venerating athletic accomplishment, especially during the Olympics. If you’re a young person into sports, it’s quite likely that your hero is someone who has reached the pinnacle of performance in their respective sport. (Having just won numerous medals in the 2024 Olympics, Simone Byles would probably come to mind for more than a few American girls today.) Eric Liddell, whom I wrote about in my last post, would have certainly been a “hero” to young people living in Scotland in the 1920’s or 30’s. Michael Phelps, owner of the most Olympic medals of all-time with 28, would’ve topped the list amongst young American swimmers a few years ago. But today? I’m not sure he would be recognized by kids under eighteen. Sports heroes are generally only remembered by their respective generations.
Do you remember Mary Lou Retton? If so… you’re likely over 40. How about Nadia Comaneci of Romania? Then you’re probably over 50. If you remember Jesse Owens… congratulations, you’re over 70! And if you saw him run… well, you’re older than anyone I know.
Jesse Owens was considered a “hero” because his performance in track & field events at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin were an affront to the supposed superiority of the aryan race espoused by Hitler. (He won 4 gold medals; the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, the long jump and the 4x100 meter relay.) But can Owens be considered a “hero” simply because he showed up and performed well? Yes, in the same way that Jackie Robinson was a hero for breaking the race-barrier in major league baseball in the 1940's and 50's. Although I’m not sure winning a sporting event or being a tremendously accomplished athlete makes anyone a hero, having the courage to show up and perform your best in the face of intense racism, under the hostile scrutiny of people who want to see you fail, is a tough circumstance that most of us today can't quite imagine. What Owens and Robinson did in their day was heroic.
U.S. history is filled with heroes who changed America for the better; so many that it's impossible to name them all even though we all have our favorites. When comparing today's political leaders to those from the past, it’s hard to frame politicians currently vying for the U.S. Presidency as heroic, but I’m sure there are people who would see them as such. More understandable to me are the larger-than-life figures in U.S. history: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
We tend to associate heroism with bravery and courage in the face of great adversity, especially during war, whether historical or mythical. Modern motion pictures give us example after example of heroes who fight and die for a noble cause. Think of Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks in “Saving Private Ryan,” or Russell Crowe’s Maximus in “Gladiator.” And let’s not forget everyone’s favorite Roman demi-god, Achilles, played by Brad Pitt in “Troy.” All three of these characters are accomplished warriors— albeit fictional creations— who die gallant deaths fighting for a noble cause. (Or, in the case of Brad Pitt’s Achilles… whose cause is not really noble... at least, he looks good doing it.)
But which of these movie heroes are relatable? Can any of us truly relate to the actions of these men? Maybe Captain Miller... who fights to hide the tremor in his hand and breaks down at the horror of violent war unfolding before his eyes. But not the other two. Although kids love the many comic-book superhero movies flooding our cineplexes, can anyone over the age of thirty really relate to these characters? They're heroic... yes. But are they grounded in reality? I think not.
We all have different heroes at different points in our lives. At various points in my life, I've idolized sports figures (Walther Payton, Julius Erving, John Wooden), writers (Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Isaac Asimov, John Irving), filmmakers (Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg), business executives (Jack Welch, Bill Gates, Pat Gelsinger), and theologians (C.S. Lewis, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Rick Warren). I know that the 2nd commandment instructs us not to have false idols before God... but, hey, I was young and a sinner and our culture is one that breeds idolatry. But now in my 50's, I find that what qualifies someone as a "hero" in my mind has changed radically.
My twenty-five year-old son recently gave me a copy of Steve Pemberton’s “The Lighthouse Effect” published in 2021 by Zondervan. This book is not only a wonderful reminder of why my wife and I chose the lighthouse as the emblem for our non-profit business— a "noble, selfless, steady, faithful structure whose one mission is to protect the journey of the traveler" (as described in the introduction), it has also caused me to rethink my idea of heroes. The lighthouse effect is “the idea that ordinary people, immersed in the business of their own lives, wrestling with their own struggles and imperfections, can touch the lives of others.”
In his book, Pemberton tells the stories of real people he considers “human lighthouses.” The stories he tells come from different generations, races, genders, and faiths. He writes, “for while lighthouses of the sea have stood watch for millenia, the most powerful and enduring lighthouses are the human ones.”
Pemberton addresses the idea of the “hero” and who we have come to consider heroes in this modern age. “We are not wrong to look for heroes, but we often look in the wrong places, only to find ourselves continually disappointed. The dazzling entertainer, the elite athlete, and the innovative CEO do have admirable qualities, but we can’t place them so far above us that we fail to see our own ability to make important contributions to the world.”
What makes someone a hero?
I've now come to see heroes as ordinary people struggling to do their best in a fallen world, living virtuous lives, seeking to help those around them, providing uplifting encouragement and practical help. The character traits that I now consider “heroic” are different from what the news media, motion picture industry and current social media platforms would esteem. It doesn’t matter to me where a person comes from or what they do (for a living), if that person is kind, compassionate, helpful, reliable, humble, and servant-oriented, always willing to give of themselves; that person is a “hero” to me. A hero is someone you can trust… someone you can count on… someone willing to “give you the shirt off their back,” to borrow an old cliché. A hero is someone who doesn't need glory or attention, because they are seeking to honor and glorify God by treating fellow humans with kindness and respect.
Does that sound like anyone you know? I’ll bet it does. Our lives are filled with everyday heroes who exhibit these qualities. You might not read about them online or see them in their own YouTube channel, but they are out there doing thankless jobs behind the scenes. We see them in our everyday lives but so often forget to notice them. Some of them are doing the obvious professions we associate with benefiting society: inventors, scientists, teachers, doctors, nurses, soldiers, pastors, missionaries, pilots, police-officers and, of course, firefighters. But there are also those doing less glamorous jobs we tend to take for granted: librarians, waitstaff, garbage removal, truck drivers, grocery-store clerks, janitors.
Can we call someone who shows up day in and day out, doing a thankless job, giving of themselves, maybe not saving lives or impacting people in overtly positive ways, but doing the best job they can, a hero? You bet we can.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 9: 10 (NIV)
Anyone who gets up early and goes to a job they dislike in order to provide for their family is a hero to me and following the guidance given by Solomon in Ecclesiastes. So is anyone who pulls over to help someone when their car has broken down on the side of the road; or stops to help an injured bicyclist who has just taken a spill; or helps someone pick up a bag of groceries they’ve just dropped in the parking lot. If you’ve ever helped someone you didn’t know in their time of need… well, then, you’re a “hero” and God is smiling on you at that moment.
The Greatest Hero who every lived
The truest model of heroism I can think of is, of course, Jesus. He embodied all of these character traits, and so much more. He sacrificed his life for all of us. He chose to die so that we might be forgiven. And yet, which of our children, when asked “who is your hero?,” would answer: Jesus.
None of us can live a life as virtuous as Jesus. We can try to model his behavior, sure. And we should try to live according to his teachings. But none of us can come close to living the perfect, sinless life that Jesus lived, no matter how hard we might try. And that's okay. That’s not what God expects. He wants us to point people to Jesus and to be kind to those we interact with.
The star athlete who wins the gold medal, sinks the winning shot or scores the winning touchdown under the lights on the big stage might get some glory and media attention. They might be deemed the “hero” of the moment for their athletic accomplishment. But what about the person behind the scenes who gives them a drink of water, wipes the sweat off their brow, washes their clothes, picks up after them? What about the person who stops to hold a door for someone as they leave the stadium?
Heroic acts are those small, quiet, uplifting things we do for others that only God sees. A word of encouragement. A note of thanks. A helpful hand. Sacrificing what we’d prefer for what someone needs. A willingness to bow low and wash someone’s feet when we’d rather be the person standing on the high podium with the medal placed around their neck for the whole world to see.
“Human lighthouses are steadfast and faithful, humble yet unwavering, always illuminating the pathway to hope and sanctuary,” writes Mr. Pemberton in his book.
Ask yourself this question: Are you a lighthouse? Are you shining a light to bring travelers to safety in times of trouble? Someone who steadfastly helps others without praise or recognition, treating others like you'd like to be treated. Someone like Jesus.
Or are you someone who enjoys being in the spotlight? Receiving the self-aggrandise-ment of being publicly affirmed by others, constantly seeking attention via social media, wanting to be looked at, spoken highly of, complimented or adored?
One hundred years ago, the simple act of shining a light for ships at sea was a reassuring act of heroism. Lighthouses can still be found all around you. You only have to look up from your phone, stop texting, pay attention, and you’ll notice them.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about
such things.
Philippians 4: 8 (NIV)
How did Jesus, the most important hero who ever lived, instruct us to live? He taught us to be a lighthouse in a dark world. To have compassion for the downtrodden, orphans and widows. To caste no stones unless we are without sin. And to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. But, if you can’t do those things, point someone to the true beacon of light & hope: Jesus. It might change their life. And you can forever be a hero to that person.
Recommended reading:
A good refocus on who a hero really is and does