Heroes

Tim, the talk show host stepped forward. He announced with enthusiasm the program for the night.

Welcome, people to “The Life Talk Show” on the channel Life* 102. Tonight we shall be exploring on the topic “What makes a hero?”

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

This is a pretty important topic to address as our admiration of our hero shapes the way we live, the kind of influence that we receive as well as the way we engage with other people in our society.

There’s the saying that “soteriology mediates eschatology”. This is to say that the way we discover our salvation is a means by which we achieve our purposes and completion. But what do we need saving from? All sorts of things! Our fears and insecurities, condemnation and comparison by others, from the uncertainties of our future, and the list goes on. Our conception of hero undoubtedly influences the way we save ourselves from the threats and hurdles to achieving our perfection.

As an illustration, say that you have a low self-esteem. To achieve your perfection, you would need to deal with that imperfection; you need to save yourself from that deficiency which would prevent you from pushing forward with faith. The way you do it would ultimately affect your way of living. Would you deal with it by seeking for success, showing others how good you are at a particular thing? Would you look to your favourite sports star and say ‘Yes I’ll be like him, and then I’ll get the fame and recognition I deserve’? Or do you look to another kind of salvation, learning to lay down your life for others and living in grace, hope and love?

Of course, the choice that we make is influenced by the kind of hero whom we model. To give you an idea of types of heroes out there, let’s look at four kinds of heroes that are prevalent in our modern day culture and society.

First, we have the Homeric hero who has the bedazzling looks and elegant posture. His charisma stirs the crowds, his strength and agility awes them. His passion for success drives him on. He has the adoration of the people, his fame is spoken of all over the city and his influence is felt everywhere he goes. When he speaks, people listen. When he walks, people follow him. When he is in action, people watch in eager anticipation. With such success and fame, coupled with admiration and adoration, who can resist the temptation of striving to be like this guy?

Secondly, we have the stoic philosopher who is calm, composed and unchanging. He controls his emotions and thoughts, rigorously applying the unchanging truths of life, such as science, mathematics and perhaps even theology, stoically – in a fixed and formulaic manner. He basks in adulation for his constantly cool temperament as well as his impressive display of piety in methodically keeping the unchanging laws and principles in his daily life. People admire him for his devoutness to fixed rules and his calm and nonchalant demeanour.

Thirdly, we have the therapeutic hero who can find solutions to almost any problems. Unsure of your purpose in life? He can use his clever psychoanalytical techniques to help you discover meaning in your life. Having difficulties in managing your finance? He’s there with his financial management methods to help you keep your budgets healthy. Facing physical illnesses that are just bogging you down? Again, he’s there to prescribe the best treatment for your sickness. Such a multi-talented person! Who would not want to be a hero as such?

Lastly, there’s a hero called Jesus, who lays down his life for others. He rises up in defiance of the structures and principalities of this world that enslave and subjugate people and sets them free from the oppressive yoke of sin. He dedicates his life as a pleasing sacrifice so that others may prosper, bringing newness, grace, hope, love to the community. However, the radical life which he lives out is often times questioned by others as unnecessary suffering and excessively burdensome. His defiance to the status quo causes him to be unpopular among certain members of society. In fact, his ways are often times labelled as weak and rebellious.

Now you might be thinking, ‘Jesus, a hero? No way man! A hero is supposed to be popular and admired by the crowds, not shunned and rejected.’ Or perhaps you might be thinking, ‘What? Laying down his life for others? No, a hero is supposed to be strong and display his influence and power in front of the crowds!’

But before you come to any premature conclusions, I would like to invite several guest speakers who have lived out each of those heroic lives that I’ve mentioned. Let’s hear their opinions and testimonies regarding the lives that they lived. And hopefully at the end of their testimonies, you will be able to gain fresh perspectives regarding the idea of heroes.

As the first speakers for tonight, let’s invite Isaac and Joshua to share their testimonies. As some background information, both of them are from Melbourne, Australia. They have studied together since elementary school and now are working together as business partners. These two men have tried living out the lives of Homeric heroes, modelling their lives after James Bond.

Isaac and Joshua took their seats beside the host. They look amused as they faced the audience, preparing to take on questions and share their stories to the audience.

Tim : Let’s start with Isaac. So tell us, Isaac. What made the both of you choose James Bond?

Isaac : Well it’s pretty simple really. He’s got the looks, he’s got the style, and he’s got the girls. Who wouldn’t want to be him?

Joshua : Yea, he’s got the fame and popularity. I mean people just love him. The thought of the fame, popularity and of course, the girls, was pretty attractive back then for two young boys of 16.

Tim : I gotta admit. That does sound pretty attractive. So tell us more about when the obsession started, and what transpired from trying to live out the life of James Bond.

Isaac : Alright. It all began in Year 10 when we watched some Bond films, ”Tomorrow Never Dies” and “The World Is Not Enough”. I thought, “Hey, this guy’s pretty cool! I wanna be like him.” Then, Joshua thought the same thing and that’s where all the trouble started.

Joshua : Yea, I won’t forget the moment. After watching the movie, I was so pumped up and so excited about looking cool that I began to ponder about the things that I could do to look cool and be admired like Bond.

Isaac : Basically, after that, we started going to school performing all kinds of stunts and daredevil tricks to get attention from the other kids. We did back flips, roller skating tricks and all kinds of stylish dance moves.

Joshua : Haha. We got their attention alright. It was awesome, well at least that time it was. We were the bomb. We were the centre of attention. The kids came to us and admired us for our cool and slick moves.

Tim : That sounds great. But what happened, then, that made you decide that you don’t want to do this anymore?

Isaac : After we started getting all the attention, people were making reIsaacs about which of us was better. Apparently, Joshua soon got more of the attention compared to me. I didn’t mind much initially, but soon it really got to me. I was feeling really jealous about him.

Joshua : Yea, there were times when we quarrelled about who was the better hero. We constantly came up with new tricks and moves to try and outdo one another. It was tough competition to get the attention of people.

Isaac : Soon, I found out that this game of competition and comparison did nothing but tore our friendship apart. While it was fun to bask in the spotlight, after a while it was just tiring and distracting. It was totally meaningless. I felt depressed after school when I did not get as much attention as Joshua did. I struggled to find new ways to impress my peers. After a while, I just thought it was not worth the cost and decide to pull out of the crazy game of condemnation and comparison.

Joshua : Initially after Isaac pulled out, I thought he was a loser and that I had finally shown him who was the better hero. I continued to get the attention of the kids around me until one day I fell down while performing a dance move and broke my leg. For three months, I couldn’t do anything cool. Life was absolutely miserable. The people who once admired me no longer came to me. I expected some of them to show concern for me but no one really offered any heartfelt sympathy. It was obvious that the only reason they came to me was because of the things that I did to please them. Take that away and suddenly you’re not so much the centre of attention anymore.

Tim : Ouch, seems like that dealt quite a blow to you image. So, how did the both of you become such good friends again after the incident?

Joshua : I owe it to Isaac. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. Throughout the three months of recovery, he was the one who gave me the support and encouragement that I needed. Without him, I don’t know where I’ll be today.

Isaac : Yea, and we decided that we were not gonna do James Bond anymore.

Joshua : Totally. It appears fun on the outside but deep down, being James Bond really involves a huge sacrifice. For us, it was our friendship.

Isaac : And the period of suffering, worries and anxiety of trying to outdo others is really just not worth the deal. Right now, we’re just happy the way we are. Living free, and not having to meet other people’s expectations or ideas of success.

Joshua : I can’t agree more.

Tim : Thank you, Isaac and Joshua for your time. Now that was an awesome testimony from two friends who tried to live the life of a Homeric hero but soon discovered that it only ended up in trouble and misery. Hopefully, all of you have gained some perspective on the first category of heroes.

For our next category of heroes, the stoic philosopher, let’s invite Nadia to share her story. Nadia hails from Malaysia. Coming from a legalistic church background, she pushed herself to be stoic and unchanging, adhering strongly to religious rules and practices.

Tim : Nadia, so good that you can join us here today. Hey, why don’t you start us off by telling us more about yourself, your background, the way you were brought up, and the influence you received?

Nadia : Great to be here, Tim. Sure, Tim. Since young, I attended a traditional church. The elders told us that we had to abide by rules and principles in every aspect of our lives. We had rules and regulations for everything, from the way we prayed, to the way we worshipped. We were given a set of dos and don’ts, and were assured that if we followed them, we would be fine. I suppose that the person that influenced me most was one of the church elders. He was a cool mannered person, always seeming calm and composed. He was really pious in keeping all the laws and regulations of the church, believing that they stemmed from the unchanging truth of the Word of God. He was a role model of obedience and piety for the entire congregation.

Tim : Right, so could you offer some examples of rules that you were told to keep?

Nadia : Okay. We were told to pray the sinners’ prayer each time we did something wrong so that we will be forgiven and not end up in hell. We were also told to do observe the rules for fasting, and praying so that they will be acceptable to God and that we will get to heaven. There were so many, I can’t remember all of them now. Aside from that, we were told not to show our anger when something bad happens. It’s a sin and God might not show his favour upon us.

Tim : So how did that affect you?

Nadia : Well, I tried really hard to be like the church elder that I admired. I tried really hard to keep all the rules and regulations. I tried to pray the way I was taught to pray but I keep falling asleep halfway through the prayer. I tried to be calm and serene all the time, but I would have occasional bursts of anger when my friends were being mistreated at school. I felt really guilty for failing to match up to the requirements. I felt that I was not good enough and I had to try to be someone more.

Tim : Yea, that must’ve been hard for you. Truly, trying to apply the “truths” like a formula only instils feelings of dissatisfaction, inadequacy and guilt when we fail to match up with the expected standards. It’s also hard to really remain stoic and emotionless all the time. After all, we as humans have emotions. So, Nadia, what prompted you to step out of that way of living?

Nadia : After coming to Melbourne and rediscovering my faith in Christ, I realised that I am called for a higher purpose than merely obeying rules and regulations to please God. I am called to be free from the bondage of all the laws of man disguised as “truths” of the Bible. I am made to be free in Him. I don’t have to try to apply these rules like formulae in my life but I am called to live by His Spirit. It was a really liberating feeling. As for the thing about being stoic and emotionless, that does not have a biblical basis to it. Jesus showed righteous indignation when he saw traders at the temple oppress the poor. Jesus wept for Lazarus following his death. He was all but stoic and persistently cool.

Tim : That’s fantastic, Nadia. It’s amazing to see that you have discovered the way of heroism is not about being stoic and rigidly and formulaically applying man-made laws and practices disguised as “truths” of the Word of God. Truly, your testimony has given us insights on the heroism of stoicism. It only enslaves us in shame and guilt and truly is not the way we should live. Thank you for your time, Nadia.

Nadia : No problem, Tim.

The next category of heroes that we shall address is the therapeutic hero. Let’s invite Shin Yi to share her insights.

Tim : Shin Yi, great that you can join us.

Shin Yi : Glad to be here, Tim.

Tim : So Shin Yi, can you tell us a bit of yourself?

Shin Yi : Right. I was amazed by Oprah, how she was able to encourage others and find solutions to almost any problem that people faced. She was a hero to so many people, receiving gratitude and admiration from those she had helped. In a sense, she was my hero and role model too. I wanted to do the same for my friends. I wanted to solve the problems that they faced and I wanted to bring comfort to them. I wanted to be their hero.

Tim : Yes, it’s true that she is an encouraging and supportive figure. So how did you go in your quest to be like Oprah?

Shin Yi : I did some research on psychoanalytical techniques and watched Oprah’s shows on how she dealt and engaged with her guests. I tried applying the same techniques to my friends. When they came to me with certain problems, I’d offer suggestions and solutions to all the problems they were facing. I tried my best to fix all their problems. I wanted to comfort them and give them answers to predicaments.

Tim : So how did that influence you?

Shin Yi : Initially I was thrilled to be able to provide the solution for all my friends. When they had any problems, they would come to me and ask for my advice. But soon, I found myself getting more and more worn out thinking about their problems. I barely had time for myself as I was constantly bogged down by their requests for help. Sometimes, the solutions that I offer don’t seem to solve their problems and I get frustrated trying to work out better solutions. Sometimes, after solving one predicament, another one pops up and I would crack my head at it.

Tim : It can be hard to trying to solve people’s problems when we don’t exactly know how they feel about their problems. So, were there times when the advice that you offered caused further harm to your friends?

Shin Yi : Yes, I’m afraid there were. There was once when I offered a solution to my friend to break up with her boyfriend, it ended up tearing her up emotionally. That really shook me badly. I guess I wasn’t quite the hero I thought I was.

Tim : Right. No doubt it is hard to try and meet everyone’s needs. After you meet some of them, they keep coming back for more. And sometimes when things don’t work out the way you expected, you get the blame for it. So what triggered you to discard the hero image that you so sought after?

Shin Yi : After a lot of frustrations, disappointments and anguish, I finally decided that enough was enough. I found that I was only offering a temporary solution to their problems, offering them a product for them to use. Unless they were be transformed within, all I was doing is merely giving them momentary comfort, or ‘painkiller’ if you like. Also, I realised that problems were not meant to be avoided or tackled altogether. Problems are there so that we can grow from it. The hardships that we face purify our faiths and strengthen our trust in our Creator and Maker.

Tim : Indeed, they are Shin Yi. Those were very good inputs Shin Yi. I hope that all of us can gain some insights into the nature of the therapeutic hero. While at face value it may seem attractive to be able to help solve everyone’s problems and become sort of the healer figure in society, in reality, true healing only comes by allowing our hearts to be touched by the Creator and our minds to be changed by His Spirit. Providing solutions to problems is merely supplying a product to meet a certain need. Thank you very much Shin Yi for your time.

Shin Yi : My pleasure, Tim.

We have thus far seen that ways of the first three heroes suddenly don’t seem as appealing and lustrous as before. Perhaps I could summarise the few main problems with such ways. All of them brought condemnation, comparisons, categorisations and cynicism.

As we have seen in the ways of the Homeric hero, condemnation started to creep in when Isaac realised that he was not as good as Joshua. Then, both of them compared themselves with one another. Joshua then later categorised Isaac as a loser and finally this whole mess spiralled out into cynicism where their friendship was utterly torn apart.

As for Nadia’s stoic philosophical way, condemnation began when she realised that she was not able to meet all the requirements of the unchanging “truths” coded in the form of man-made laws and regulations. She began comparing herself with the church elder, leading her to categorise herself as a failure. Cynicism crept in when she began distrusting relationships and thought that everyone was testing her piety.

Last but not least, we have Shin Yi’s therapeutic hero style. Condemnation starts to arise when she finds that she finds that she can’t satisfy her friend’s needs or when her friends blame her for giving them bad advice. She then compares herself with the successes of Oprah and categorises herself as a failed therapist. Lastly, cynicism comes in when she sees her friends as taking advantage of her willingness to help them with their problems and starts doubting every friendship.

But, as you can all see, they have been miraculously transformed over the years and are now living free, free from condemnation, comparison, categorisation and cynicism. What or who could have caused such a radical transformation in their lives? Is it their money? Is it their rationality or smartness? Is it their physical strength? Let’s find out.

Isaac, Joshua, Nadia and Shin Yi were sitting on either side of Tim, facing the audience. They looked eager to share about what had changed their lives.

Tim : Right, so guys, would you care to tell me who or what has so radically influenced your life that you now choose to live in the Creator’s freedom and the leading of the Spirit?

Isaac : That’s an easy one. It’s Jesus.

Joshua : Jesus.

Nadia : Yes, same here.

Shin Yi : It’s Jesus, no doubt about it.

Tim : Wow, seems like you guys have reached an unequivocal verdict on this one. So it would not be an overstatement to say that Jesus is now your new hero. Jesus’ ways are ways that call us to lay down our lives for others, ways of love, grace, hope, freedom. What has been the most significant impact of following the ways of Christ and how has that affected you?

Isaac : I suppose the greatest impact on me is that I am free to live in the way I was originally created for. I no longer have to live to please others but I can have an identity in Christ. I no longer have to try and be someone that I am not, but I can be a person who has been uniquely made for a special purpose in God’s plans.

Joshua : Yes, I agree with what Isaac said. In Christ, we no longer live for our own ambitions and desires, but we become part of God’s great plans for the earth and for us. And God’s plan is for us to rule over His creation in relationship with Him. And you don’t have to look or act cool or heroic to be part of that.

Nadia : I feel that setting Christ as my hero, seeing how He broke all the man-made pillar of laws and regulations erected by the Pharisees, I am free from the yoke of slavery to all the rules and regulations that have enslaved me previously. I don’t have to work my way to earn God’s favour. It has already been poured out to us graciously.

Shin Yi : As for me, seeing Jesus as the Master Healer, I know He can do so much more than just giving temporary relief to problems. He can change us inside out such that we no longer see the problems as being too big for us. The present suffering that we go through is nothing compared to the great promises that await us. By living in Christ, I am now free to bring His love, grace and healing to the people around me. I can cast out sickness, bring healing to illnesses and release people from bondage to sin through the authority given to me and all of us in the name of Christ.

Tim : Fantastic. Truly, He is one role model that we should look to, and really He is the true hero of generations past, present and future. As we can all see, James Bond couldn’t display true heroism to today’s generation. Neither did Greek philosophy or Oprah Winfrey. It is only through the person of Jesus Christ that we can truly say, ‘Yes, He is the true hero. He’s the One whom I want to follow. There’s no other.’

Well, seems like our time for this week is up. I hope that you’ve had a great time and that you’ve learned something from this. Tune in again next week for yet another exciting episode of “The Life Talk Show” only on Life* 102. Blessings, people!

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Note:

Material derived from Life* 102 on 2 July 2008

Stories depicted here are purely fictional and do not necessarily reflect the true life stories of participants.

Credits to Tim for ideas on heroism and to Isaac, Joshua, Nadia and Shin Yi for being part of my story.

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