Eric’s Sunday Sermon; Heroes, Hero

Heroes are so cool. Some of us would not be here without heroes. We would be nothing without heroes. So many have been my hero. Let me ask straight up, are you a hero? If you are reading this you are a hero. You have found the strength to carry on. We suggest that dogs can be heroes. A simple flower can lift you up and be your hero. How much more than them are you?

I am up at a very early hour today. My sleepy dreamy head told me not do the sermon that was written. It told me to write a sermon on heroes. Heroes? And so here we are. The first song that came to mind told me straight up that we don’t need another hero. And that told me that today in this world you have got to be the hero. We are all heroes. Our heroes are best between our hearts and our minds. Heroes do not demean themselves of others.

Must we have a hero that rides in on a white horse to lead us into the battle for good? We think not. We simply have too many heroes that want to be everybody’s hero. Do we have plenty of hero in our God? Do we have plenty of hero in our own humanism? It would seem that we do. Heroes are not just a person. Heroes can be thoughts or beliefs or love. “A” hero would be a mere mortal.

So let us look at some roles that could make a hero;

Late night Janitor, Fireman, Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Parent, Sibling, Plumber, Serviceman, Road Worker, Tow Truck Driver, Scientist, Policeman, Protestor, Politician uh oh I just realized that anyone in any walk of life can be a hero. If someone quips that not a protestor, politician, lawyer and policeman they should read no further as they totally miss the point.

Are heroes made? Are heroes in all of us just waiting to come out? Well I would say that the Janitor who pays for his family of 4 for 25 years is my kind of hero. (OK I did time as a Janitor) Not all of one group are heroes and not all of one group are not heroes. That is just a natural fact and we all know bad folks at all of the above and all those left out of the list.

Please scroll down for your song as you read.

“You are the Wind Beneath my Wings”. Such a cool song. Please right no jot down a note to get ahold and thank that unsung hero who has lifted you up to their own shadowy existence. Shoot I just wrote down half a page worth. But I am blessed that way. You see I have gotten myself down so often that angel type heroes have been plentiful.

One time I met up with some old friends and the lady thanked me. Seems I wrote a letter to a little brother of hers that lifted him up. Long forgotten by me but very fresh in her mind. But which made it even a bit more cool was that it lifted up other members of the family. Heroes trickle up and trickle down.

Now you just might take the time to smile and ask a stranger how they are doing. Sincerely compliment them. Now that is no heroic act and the fact they passed it on is not that remarkable, although really neat. But let us just say that the 4^th person in the chain was going to kill themselves that very day. Well now I ask, when he did not commit suicide, who was the hero that saved his life. You have to admit that is a fun question to ponder. So easy to say all three. But what about the home that made the man make the stranger feel good. Name each one of the possible family members and you just might find the culprit of love hero.

Lest someone be offended I do use hero for all this and is perhaps more properly “heroine”. Sometimes I just do not do gender specific on matters that should be gender identical like being a hero. Wow, were the ladies like Rosie the Riveter heroes.

Sometimes heroism is just down and out innate, instinct and genetics. My mom did not set out to have me influence tens of thousands of people. Much of what she did was questionable. She is my greatest hero. Which reminds us that we do not get to pick our heroes. They just appear or fall in our lives seemingly randomly. Maybe we should all just daydream a bit today and imagine who might be our hero tomorrow or in five years. Remember the guy in the black cowboy hat might be that fellow as opposed to the man in the white one. What does Tina say “we don’t need another white horse”?

David Bowie sings about a relationship. And how we can be heroes for just one day. Or perhaps forever and ever. I just like that thought. You could do an heroic act like our fireman or you could teach children for 30 years.

We look at Whitney Houston twice here. And I will always love you. Yet in order to be the hero in the case the hero must leave. Of course that may end well in being a hero sometimes returns. This reminds me that it is my job to get out of the way so often. You all know that takes more bravery than giving advice.

Ms. Whitney also tells us that a hero lies in you. And this is most important. You can survive. Cancer, depression, lost love. Because there is a hero inside you. You can tap it when things seem unbearable.

We always like a Bible verse. Atheist or Religious fanatic the Bible is the all-by trillions best seller of all times. That is pretty cool. If you follow the forgive 70x’s whatever rule you are a hero. I you follow Mark 11:25 you are even a better hero. People who can really and fully forgive are gifts that take heroism.

Now of course I am a Christian and would want the same for you. It is with some despair that I relate that some people do not consider Christ and God and the Holy Spirit as heroes. And so we move to Josh Groban. You raise me up he proclaims. Now raising people up is heroic. As a matter of fact that is the best heroism. Saving a child from a burning building is heroic. But that can be said that you simply are the wings to raise the child up from the inferno. If we are just participants in humanism and spirituality then seemingly no one is a hero on earth. That sounds wonky to me as faith in something gets us to risk our lives or opening up to love. Risks may just be what makes a hero. “To heck with the risk I will get this done right for her”.

For so many love is a risk. I am older. If there is a risk in loving someone, I am not brave about it, I simply no longer see it. I like my TV show heroes. Just another day at the office.

If you do things just because you are not a hero. Heroism requires a state of mind to help. If the “heroic” action is done in love, then you are always a hero.