Heroes and choices

Read time: 2-3 minutes

The movies vs the news

It seems that every time a new superhero movie comes out, everyone rushes to see it; I know this is true, because I’m right there at the front of the line. The same is true for more real life movies (think of Radio, The Blind Side, Rudy) where normal people play the hero. It’s not just the special effects or good acting (at best each type usually only has one of those elements anyways).

It is something deeper. Much deeper.

In our day to day life of constant news streams and status updates, we are unable to get away from the fact that people are hurting and things are falling apart. Everywhere we look there are disasters. Earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and tsunamis are filling the news along with more human originating ones like theft, murder, deceit, hate, and violence. We can’t help but be affected regardless of our proximity to these situations.

We love movies where people are heroic because they help us believe that these things won’t ultimately defeat us.

They give us hope.

Hope

Hope that there is a better way.

Hope that things can change.

Hope that one person can make a difference.

But movies aren’t the only places where heroes exist. We are deceived to think that things are as good as they can get. Things can and do change and yes, one person has enough God given power and ability to change the world. To believe any different is to buy in to a lie.

This is my hope. And I’m banking a lot on it…my entire life.

It’s not an accident

Heroes still exist, but they don’t just happen. Someone has to decide to be a hero.

Whether it is the fictional superhero or the everyday person, a choice has to be made to use whatever power is at their disposal to be heroic. A choice has to be made to cause change where it won’t happen without their intervention.

Every single person is given the choice of being a hero.

Don’t miss that concept – Every single person is given the choice of being a hero. That choice only has two options: You either accept it or you deny it. Ignoring the thought and action required does not omit you from having chosen, it only means that you have chosen to deny being a hero.

Tyler Durden was right, we won’t all be millionaires, movie gods or rock stars, but every single one of us has the ability to be a hero.

Do you believe this? What are you doing with the choice to be heroic?