Heroes

Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs[e] of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. Nehemiah 3:16

This comes as part of the story of how the Israelites repaired their homeland after being set free from their captivity in Babylon. I can only imagine their thoughts at seeing these old, holy, revered places that they had only heard of. The House of Heroes. Wow!

When I was an undergraduate I enjoyed a certain amount of success in the theatre department, although I wasn’t always successful. Times were good, times were a struggle. There was disappointment at having been looked over on occasion.

So, many years later, I went with my wife to a surprise dinner honoring my teacher, friend, and mentor, James Lee Austin. A young co-ed was there as part of a volunteer staff. She introduced herself and asked my name. When I told her, her eyes got big. “You’re Jeff King? THE Jeff King? I’ve heard of you. Wow!” It was kinda cool to get that reaction after a lot of years had gone by.

The point here is that all she saw was the House of Heroes. She didn’t see the let downs, the tears, the struggles.

I have to admit that I read a lot of stories, fiction and fact, involving people who end up as heroes. I watch and read and am caught up by the beauty of the story. I think of Saving Private Ryan (only one of a handful of movies at which a friend says men are allowed to cry at the end).

No one, including his family, knew what Ryan went through in the war. He was their hero, though. A good father and husband. In the war, he didn’t know that someday he’d visit a grave overlooking the shores of Normandy. All he knew was that he probably wasn’t going to get home alive.

To this day, I can only hope that someday I’ll be a hero. Right now, I can just hope that I’m a hero in the making. Maybe someday someone will take a look at my life and say, “He was quite a guy. I wish I could have met him.”

But right now, life is a struggle. It has been for a number of years. And isn’t that the point? Heroes don’t get to be heroes by giving up and going along on the cheap. Heroes go up against the odds. Heroes take the life God gives them and work it for all they’re worth. When they feel like the clock is ticking down to :00 with no hope, they ask God for the strength to suck it up just one more time.

Isn’t that what Jesus did? He knew what was coming His entire life, and He kept on going. Just one more period, one more quarter or inning. In Gethsemane He asked God to let Him take a knee. God said, “No. You’re the Starter…and the Finisher. Now put your helmet back on and get in there. And listen for Me in your headset.”

Same for Peter, Paul, and all of the apostles. These are people I would like to meet. They are some of the biggest heroes who ever lived! Their lives were filled with trials, dangers, betrayal, and horrible deaths. Only John died in his old age.

If I could meet them and tell them they are my heroes, they’d probably put up a pretty stern statement against that idea. At the very least, they would maybe chuckle and think, “Yeah, some hero.” I would hope that they would take some comfort in being looked at that way. It would show them that all of their struggles were worth it.

So I hope I can be a hero some day. Even if I’m not around to hear about it. It would be good to know that everything I did was worth it. It would be good to know that I had an impact on someone else’s life.

When you have the chance, say something nice. Do something nice. Do a small good deed. Do a heroic one. When you feel like your tank is empty, ask God to fill it. Then head back into the fray.