December 4, 2024 A Religious and Political Commentary

When we embrace Jesus, we can truly live “heroic,” altruistic lives

Laurie and Jack Beaton were in Las Vegas celebrating their twenty-third anniversary when shots rang out. They realized quickly that what they thought were fireworks were in fact a hail of bullets. Laurie says in an interview: “He told me, ‘Get down, get down, get down!’” Jack Beaton put his own body on top of hers for protection. “He told me, ‘I love you, Laurie’ and his arms were around me and his body just went heavy on me.”

Then there’s the story of 58 year old Cori Langdon, Las Vegas cabbie who used her taxi to rescue folks in harm’s way – and recorded it all on video. She says she’s no hero: “There were so many other people who put themselves in harm’s way, I just stumbled upon it.”

Acts of heroism abound amid the atrocity. Shane Beus, a 29 year old Iraq War veteran “stole” a pickup truck to ferry people to the hospital. Off-duty police officer Jonathan Smith is said to have saved the lives of 30 concert-goers. When asked about his actions, he replied: “Everyone’s been using that word ‘hero.’ I’ve been saying it since the whole time I got home – I’m not a hero, I’m far from a hero. I think I just did what anybody would do.”

Would anybody do what these people did?  That’s really the question, and it has stumped humans for centuries. It stumped Andrew Carnegie, who created the Carnegie Hero Fund to study what makes a hero – and to reward them. The idea of heroism stumped Charles Darwin, too.

Darwin said of heroes: “He who was ready to sacrifice his life, as many a savage has been, rather than betray his comrades would often leave no offspring to inherit his noble nature.”  In other words, self-sacrifice flies in the face of natural selection. Heroism may be noble, but it isn’t human nature.

Or is it? If heroic action is unnatural, then why are there so many stories of heroism? And what makes a hero? Strength? Boldness? Bravery or courage? Not according to the Greeks who gave us the word. The word hero means “protector.” Heroes care.  The great heroes of Greek mythology weren’t perfect or all-powerful.  What brought out greatness in them was often their compassion.

“Empathy, the Greeks believed, was a source of strength, not softness; the more you recognized yourself in others and connected with their distress, the more endurance, wisdom, cunning, and determination you could tap into.”
So says Christopher McDougal (Natural Born Heroes).

The Greeks didn’t love the Titans. They loved Hercules and Odysseus and Atalanta and Perseus.  These heroes had a human side.

One of the fundamental elements of the Christian faith – and what separates it from all the other world religions – is this “heroic” component. We call it the incarnation.  The Apostle Paul writes:

“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).”

It’s all right there: empathy, compassion, protection.

As humans rebelled against their Creator, our mantra became “Every man for himself.” Adam and Eve turned on each other. Their sons turned on each other. Every son and daughter of Adam has done the same thing since. Serving ourselves put empathy and compassion for others in a box, packed away in the attic.

When Jesus moved in, He brought that box with him. With the incarnation, Jesus exemplified the heroic nature of the image of God. Jesus, filled with compassion, took action on our behalf. In empathy, the Creator became like His Creation.

So when Paul says Jesus “took on the likeness of man,” He showed us what it truly means to be human: caring for others even to the point of self-sacrifice. Jesus reminded us himself: “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).”

Heroic, in the truest sense of the term: protector.

Events like the Las Vegas massacre remind us that the world we live in is dark and often ugly. Evil exists in the hearts of mankind. It lurks out there.  But slowly other stories begin to emerge that remind us that all hope is not lost.  Each one of us has been created in God’s image. True, this image is often distorted, misshapen, and hidden. But it is there.  Occasionally, in people like Jack Beaton and Jonathan Smith we get glimpses.

Laying down one’s life for someone; putting ourselves in harm’s way out of compassion; listening to each other; serving; sacrificial love; helping others. These shouldn’t be the human anomaly. This is the way we’ve been created to live…it is His image in us.

When we embrace Jesus, the True Human, we can truly live “heroic,” altruistic lives. It is not only an ideal to be desired, it is a command to be followed:

“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus…”

Related Posts

When we embrace Jesus, we can truly live “heroic,” altruistic lives

October 20, 2017

October 20, 2017

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestLaurie and Jack Beaton were in Las Vegas celebrating their twenty-third anniversary when shots rang out....

Work Brings Reward

March 29, 2019

March 29, 2019

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin Pinterest“It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of...

Obituary for 2020

December 28, 2020

December 28, 2020

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestThe year 2020 breathed its last, COVID-infected breath on December 31 at 11:59 p.m. Although it...

How Do You Know?

September 18, 2019

September 18, 2019

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestDoctor to patient: “Well, I’ve got bad news and worse news. The bad news is you...

By some degree, we all make the hypocrite list

December 28, 2017

December 28, 2017

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestI don’t have the authority, but if I did, I would brand 2017 as “The Year...

It Was Good

May 30, 2019

May 30, 2019

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestIn the Genesis account of God’s creation of the world, there is an important, repeated refrain:...

Surrounded by Idiots

April 5, 2018

April 5, 2018

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestI am surrounded by idiots.  They are everywhere. That’s an ugly beginning to a religious column,...

Today’s mob mentality similar to Luke’s description of 2,000 years ago

September 22, 2017

September 22, 2017

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestHumorist Dave Barry once said, “The problem with writing about religion is that you run the...

Hubris brings judgment and division

February 8, 2018

February 8, 2018

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestWhen Daedalus created wings of feathers and wax for his son, Icarus, he gave them with...

The Church has a long legacy of contributing to society

March 8, 2018

March 8, 2018

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestI remember, back when I first started reading the Bible, coming across Paul’s statements in the...

The Soul of Work

October 25, 2021

October 25, 2021

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestThe Washington Post reports that in our nation there are still 8.2 million jobs left to...

Willing Accomplices

March 13, 2019

March 13, 2019

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin Pinterest“No man can struggle with advantage against the spirit of his age and country, and however...

Religion

August 7, 2019

August 7, 2019

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestAccording to Science Daily, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world. Make that 4,201. I...

Here’s a handy guide to being ‘woke’ in 2019

January 3, 2019

January 3, 2019

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestSociety is evolving and the changes seem to come at breakneck pace. If you’re anything like...

Shame and Honor

June 7, 2017

June 7, 2017

Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin PinterestHere is a Bible trivia quiz. If you have ever read Paul’s letter to the Romans,...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *