Well, the news came out this week – another one bites the dust! It should not be so shocking to the world by now. It seems as if another “hero” of sports has fallen. Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs has now been linked to performance enhancing drugs during the 2003 season. I personally think that every time one of these stories comes out that it does nothing but tarnish professional sports. In many respects, I wish they would leave the past in the past and not continue to drag out these allegations…but I digress.
With that thought in mind, I began thinking about these people that we enshrine into heroism almost instantly the moment they achieve some type of accolade. In my opinion, the distinctiveness of the modern day hero has deteriorated greatly. Until recently, our heroes were individuals who braved unknown frontiers at the risk of death or public humiliation, regardless of the sacrifices. Much of what they accomplished was for the good of humanity rather than their own self-centered needs.
In the past fifty years, attitudes, values, and priorities have been increasingly shaped by a mass-media culture. Our heroes have changed drastically. Today, our children worship wealthy performers who change spouses as often as they change underwear. They look up to rappers with criminal records and sordid drug habits. They idolize movie characters whose talents involve killing by day and gratuitous sex by night. They revere those with the most cynical attitudes, the most obscene incomes, the foulest mouth, and the lowest regard for human life. To many contemporary heroes, agricultural advancement means sowing bushels of their wild oats everywhere they can. They seem to live by the motto: “Snort, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow…well, tomorrow we’ll meet at my place and do it all over again.”
It seems as if we have so overused this word “hero,” and that it has lost its meaning. When I was a kid, heroism was an ideal; but it seems that today every teacher, athlete, and movie star wears the label of a hero. I’m sure that many of them are heroes to a certain extent, but it doesn’t take superman’s x-ray vision to see right through the vain appearance demonstrating that many are anything but. From A-Rod to Kobe Bryant to Michael Phelps drug use to Rodger Clemens and the list goes on. These supposed “heroes” continually succumb to cheating with performance enhancing drugs, addictive habits, and poor life choices. Yet, they are depicted as heroes for our children. No wonder our nation is in a quandary. No wonder our generation is making such poor moral indiscretions – they are following their heroes. After all, it is perfectly natural (but totally opposite of God’s view) for one to cheat on their spouse, lie to the government, laugh at authority, not pay taxes, and be dishonest on the job. Then, to add insult to injury, as a nation, we create sitcoms, television shows, and movies about these things all the while laughing at the moral decline of others. Then, we call the actors that do such, heroes! Does anyone else notice the irony here? It seems as if we can live however we want without consequences so long as we can make someone laugh, hit a ball with a stick, and make lots of money.
In our culture, heroism is often defined in terms of what a person has rather than who he or she is and what he or she can do to make the world a better place. What these heroes have is money, fame, athletic talent, or physical beauty. And because of this, they are often given tacit permission to break the rules and sidestep the moral code.
With this in mind, I have come to a conclusion that there is a HUGE difference between someone that has a heroic moment and someone that is a true hero. I believe that true heroes are people that live a life of heroism and not simply have a heroic moment. I’m sure that there are heroes that are well published and known around the world, but I am grateful for the heroes that preach in small churches across the world, the nurses working in hospitals on third shift, those in the military sacrificing months away from their family, the teacher that spends countless hours after school helping a child, and incalculable other illustrations. These stories depict what I believe to be a stark difference between those that not only have heroic moments, but instead live as constant, steady heroes in the hearts and lives of people.
Talent doesn’t make a hero, and beauty should not equate to virtue. So, before we can raise our children to become heroes, we need to redefine heroism in healthier, less materialistic terms. Heroes should be people who are willing to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good. Heroes should be those who, day after day, do what they believe is right, regardless of their audience, their temptations, their excuses, the unpopularity of their choice, or the outside reaction it may trigger. And they do what is right for rightness’ sake, not to earn brownie points or special favors.
Real heroes are not only those who risk life and limb to save another, but anyone ready to risk personal loss–of reputation, pride, friendship, confidence, money, pleasure, and opportunity–for the sake of what is right. In short, heroes are led by their sense of honor rather than by the path of least resistance and highest immediate rewards.
So, in conclusion, as another “hero” bites the dust, may it be our prayer that we remain faithful and committed to those in our lives that we have the responsibility to influence. May we make the right decisions, even though it is difficult, and may we stand for right even when it is the path least traveled.
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