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“Now some folks who worship him are the ones who would’ve cheered at the crucifixion/They got no conviction/It doesn’t matter if the man was fact or fiction/Who are you going to call your fearless leader/who’s going to put your fears to bed/Heroes will never you let down, just as long as they’re dead” –Soul Asylum (hidden track on the album Silver Lining, 2006).
Heroes
by Falvo Fowler
NBC’s Heroes* was an unexpected television hit for the year 2006. The show is about extraordinary people from various walks of life who are tied together to be part of a bigger picture. Each has an ability that goes beyond the norm. They ordinary people who discover extraordinary talents. They all are “heroes.”
That’s it then, isn’t it? Humans with abilities.
So why do we read about Britney, Paris, 50 Cent, George, Brad, Angelina, and the rest? Who exactly was Anna Nicole Smith and what does she have to do with your life? Do Keith Urban’s detox, Tom Cruises’ evangelistic rants, Oprah’s soapbox, or Bono’s causes drive our interest? If so, why?
In the Christian realm, we visit Willowbrook, purpose drive our lives, query Jesus’ actions (WWJD—What Would Jesus Do?), amaze ourselves with facts, wrap ourselves only with what is written, and repeat after Joel Olsteen just to do what others have done.
But God asks, “What about you?”
Why are heroes always other people, when in reality each hero is just an ordinary person who discovered identity, tapped talent, and hit payload. Why are our heroes so far removed from us? It’s like Jesus said, “ ‘No prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown’ ” (Luke 4:24, NRSV). Because when we know someone closely, it’s easy to not take that person seriously. It’s easier to admire someone who stands at a distance.
We worship a Christ we do not understand. We profess Him with our words, and quote chapter and verse. But if He were in our church on Sabbath, would we even recognize Him? If He were to call us to only buy from those who treat their workers fairly, would we say that does not pertain to reality and is way too expensive? If He were to ask us to pay attention to the hurting in our church and to be responsible in our governance, rather than skirt the issue because of the embarrassment, would we lump Him with a “bunch of touchy-feely liberals”? Or if He were to ask us to live responsible lives based on a stricter code of morality and conduct, would we brand Him “a pharisaical right-winger”?
I don’t know.
Perhaps we like the idea of a dead Christ resurrected to heaven rather than a living Christ who exists in our hearts, because the former is in heaven and somehow removed from our daily, niggling lives. The latter just takes too much effort. It’s easier to profess a theological belief than it is to lift a foot and follow Him. It’s easier to be on a boat than to step out in faith and surf the waters without a board. Why? Because the latter takes conviction. And somehow, along the way, some of us have lost conviction. We have cut, diced, and categorized our beliefs to fit our lives rather than chiseled, adapted, and baptized our lives to be enhanced by God’s truth.
Heroes are not just dead people, or people who live in heaven, or fictional characters playing in a virtual world. Heroes are ordinary people who seek to live life to the fullest and who choose to live life in truth. They are the ones who tap into their strengths and who get that much closer to heaven.
You are a hero waiting to break free. And when you do, you can meet the Savior who made that freedom a viable option, because He died and rose again to live every moment with you.
Now and forevermore.
*Neither I nor CQ promote the show nor do I watch it weekly. I’m just fascinated that the concept would grab the attention of so many viewers.