Hero

The television was on tonight, as it usually is in my house, and I happened to hear the scenario that was taking place on the screen. A man was being asked to give up his life for the betterment of everyone else. Immediately I was enraptured with the situation. I was speaking with my brother about having to walk through the same circumstances. The man on the screen called his young daughter and told her good-bye. He was weeping as he hung up the phone. I cannot imagine what that would have been like. Saying goodbye to someone for the knowingly last time would break me on the inside in so many ways. When the man had achieved his task and was about to die all that was said to him was a meaningful “thank-you”. All that for the good of everyone else. Imagine the bonds he had just severed with his daughter, yet something greater caused him to walk through these doors as he consciously lived the last minutes of his life. There are so many directions I could run with this, I’ll only touch a couple:

- This to me was such a huge modern day example of Christ’s sacrifice for me. Not necessarily the suffering part, but the idea of knowing your going to die. I can just imagine Him in the Garden, thinking to Himself, “Here we go”. He knew those were His last moments and still He walked them proudly, for the greater good of all man. What a sacrifice. Thank you so much Father, yet please continue to show me more of Your character.
- I think of the man on TV, and the hero he would have been in the coming days. Yet we all have modern day hero’s, they drive around in cars with a poppy on their license plate. The Veterans. Yet how often do we brush of the sacrifice they made? They gave their lives for us, the same way the guy on TV did, and while they are given respect on their day every year are they not worth more than one day out of an entire year? I’m not saying we need parades but perhaps a common respect among people my age. How long does the bliss of being a hero last? In my experience it doesn’t go past 50 years before we move on. Please understand my gross generalizations, I know I’m doing it, but please I have no intention of offending you. I place everyone in the same room. If your not supposed to be in that room, don’t be.
- Would you do it? I mean be a hero and knowingly sacrifice your life, the very gift that God has given you, for the betterment of everyone else. Even if it would hurt? What if your family had to watch? What if it was for people you disagreed with, or even despised? Would you still do it?
- Why does the idea of sacrifice ring something so deep inside us? Why do we recognize what is taking place? Why do we mourn over the loss, yet weep over the excitement of new hope? Why do we have heroes? Do you long to be a hero?

I have no idea where I was going with all those thoughts, I’m sure I could write a page on each one of then, and maybe I will someday. I love the thought of the hero, and respect them to the nth most degree. But watching what was taking place on television really made me wonder why I honor them, why I long to be a hero. Were we born to be heroic? I’d love the thoughts swirling around in your mind.