We are drawn to the fantasy world, where once-beloved comic book figures have taken on a bigger-than-life presence on the movie screen. Supernatural feats of heroic figures play in the minds of our young and not-so-young people.
According to Google, a hero is someone “who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” While a hero can be many things to many people, who can measure up to the supernatural standards of Hollywood?
In real life, a hero is a person who carries out his or her duties in difficult situations, often when others have given up or forsaken the cause. While this description is by no means complete, it does call to mind the character of the one so described.
Heroes are not obsessed with calling attention to themselves. Heroes are men and women who carry out their responsibilities without demanding praise from others. In recent months, health-care professionals have been singled out as praiseworthy; and rightly so, for the Bible teaches us to give “honor to whom honor is due” (Rm. 13:7).
The heroes of faith we read about in the Scriptures were men and women whose faith moved them to actively pursue the will of God (Hb. 11). Their trust in God draws our attention to what God did or would do for them. They focused on carrying out His instructions regardless of personal cost or sacrifice. We, too, “have need of endurance, so that when [we] have done the will of God, [we might] receive what was promised” (Hb. 10:36). In this way, obedient faith is truly heroic.
–Glen Elliott–