Who Is Your Hero?
Most people love a good hero story when good wins over evil, the little guy prevails over the corporate giant, David defeats Goliath, a voice stands up to injustice. Our world is filled with heroes.
Consider all the heroes of this pandemic. ER doctors & nurses, paramedics, firefighters, grocery store workers, pharmacists, police officers, and pharmaceutical researchers. Teachers and school administrators quickly adapted to online teaching to make sure our kids were still getting the education they need and deserve.
History is filled with heroes that most can identify: Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Mother Teresa. Others, like Clara Barton, may not be a household name, but the organization she founded in 1881 is: The American Red Cross1. You will find Red Cross responders helping families whenever tragedy strikes.
During the Holocaust, thousands of Jewish lives were spared by the heroes who hid them, gave them new identification papers, and smuggled them to safety. Audrey Hepburn, before her film debut, joined the Dutch Resistance and aided many Jews in escaping persecution2.
Chesley Sullenberger’s quick action to land his damaged plane in the Hudson River saved the lives of everyone on the plane and likely countless people in the crowded neighborhoods he avoided3.
Many heroes were identified on September 11, 2001. New York Fire and Police ran into burning buildings, like many do every day, to save lives of innocent victims. Todd Beamer and a few other men stormed the cockpit of a plane to stop the terrorists from flying into another building. There were many less known heroic acts that day. Michael Benfante and John Cerqueira found Tina Hansen on the 68th floor of the North Tower. The wheelchair-bound woman was stuck since the elevators were no longer working. The two men carried her in a lightweight chair down the 68 flights of stairs to safety4.
The actions of these heroes saved lives and the ripple effect continues as their children and grandchildren live lives that never would have been, had a hero not jumped in to save a life. Their stories inspire us.
Sometimes holidays like Easter can become mundane because the story is the same every year. But have we really stopped to consider the act of heroism that continues to save lives to this day?
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, died on the cross for every human being. For you. For me. He willingly made a choice to suffer a horrific death as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. But Easter is not about death. Easter is about life! After 3 days in the tomb, Jesus became the ultimate hero and defeated death for good. Because he lives, we can live with him forever. His sacrifice paid the price of our sins. (For more information, go to oneandall.church/Jesus)
His sacrifice inspires us to our own acts of heroism. The Bible says we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, it is in our nature to jump in and help others. Every time we hear the story of a hero, it should remind us of the ultimate act of heroism.
He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Let’s truly celebrate this year.
Sources Cited
1: “Famous Heroes to Inspire You and Your Kids.” FamilyApp, 2 Mar. 2021,
https://familyapp.com/famousheroes/#:~:text=Here%20are%20a%20few%20of%20our%20favorite%20people,heroes%20in%20American%20history.%20...%20More%20items...%20.
2: Kantor, Jonathan H. “Top 10 Incredible People Who Were Heroes Of The Holocaust - 2020.” Listverse,
11 Nov. 2020, https://listverse.com/2020/11/12/10-incredible-people-who-were-heroes-of-the-holocaust/.
3: Kettler, Sara. “Real-Life Heroes of September 11, 2001.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 25 Aug. 2020,
https://www.biography.com/news/september-11-2001-real-life-heroes.
4: Winkler, Sarah. “5 Amazing Rescues.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 17 Feb. 2009,
https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/5-rescues.htm.
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