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May 27, 2008
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Some Who Has Been There, by Rubel Shelly
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith
we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been
tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. Let us
then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews
4:14-16).
There was a time when Superman was one of my heroes. I watched his
exploits on black-and-white TV. Even though George Reeves' build was a
bit more like my Dad's than a superhero's, he was still my hero. I had
typical little-boy fantasies of being like him.
He was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive,
and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But, those aren't
the things that made him my hero. This was the clincher: Superman was
the "Man of Steel."
Whether in black-and-white TV adventures or in later movie and animated
episodes in brilliant color, the thing that amazed me about Superman
was he couldn't be hurt. He'd fly in a window -- or through a wall.
Chains couldn't hold him. Bullets would bounce off his chest. I even
remember one episode where they aimed a bazooka at him, and Superman
just grinned.
The only thing he had to fear was ever-so-rare kryptonite. But there
were only a few ounces of it anywhere on Planet Earth. And Lois Lane
typically rescued him from its power to make him vulnerable and mortal.
Then it dawned on me. Superman -- in addition to being fictional --
isn't worth having as a hero. He's no ideal for someone like me. He
isn't brave or daring or heroic. He doesn't have to defy suffering and
stand up to fear. He just doesn't suffer. He doesn't get afraid.
Therefore he can't really be brave.
I've changed my idea of a hero!
Only such people are brave as can be seriously hurt. Bullets don't
bounce off them. Gravity slings them to the ground -- hard enough at
times to break their bones. Their flesh will burn right off their
bodies if they dash into a burning building to save their children.
Their hearts will break when lied about or betrayed. And they feel pain
from broken bones, charred flesh, or cancer.
That's why I've changed my idea of a "hero." It is Mark dealing with
leukemia. It is Don facing not one or two but three different kinds of
cancer simultaneously. It is Jim and Judy facing down addictions -- and
reviving their marriage. It is John and Jaime dealing with the
aftermath of a helicopter crash. It is Jenks and Hazel taking care of
each other after sixty years of marriage. It is Myra's courage and
grace through surgery and chemotherapy and radiation. It is ...
In a word, it is a long list of people I know who follow Jesus with
such fierce devotion that they model faith like he showed in dealing
with their fear, pain, and mortality. In the non-fictional world of
real human experience, we have an authentic hero in Jesus. Put to the
test in the same experiences humans still face, he endured. He trusted
the Father. He stayed the course to save us.
Ever wish you didn't have to go through the ordeal of pain or betrayal
or loss? Me, too! If that were the way of things, though, we'd be like
Superman. Not brave. Just unfeeling, impervious, and incapable of pain.
Fictional. A myth.
Made as you are, though, you can be like Jesus. Authentic. Trusting.
Faithful. He has been there, and he provides mercy and grace in your
time of need.
---------
(c) 2008 Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly <rshelly@rc.edu>'s
"FAX of Life" printed each Tuesday. See Faith Matters for
previous issues of the "FAX of Life."
RELATED LINKS:
* Taking Note of a Hero's Death
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200707/20070724_hero.html
* More Than a Face in the Crowd
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/199912/19991223_crowd.html
* 10 Things Dads Can Do to Look Like Hero to Their Kids
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200110/20011002_10things.html
* RubelShelly.com
http://www.rubelshelly.com/
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080527_beenthere.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
WILD AT HEART, by John Eldredge
Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, this is a guide to
understanding Christian manhood and Christian men.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?153
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
each purchase you make, you're helping to support Heartlight's
ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
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