Real Heroes Blog

By: Missionary Team
Captain America, the BEST AVENGER!!!! That’s a great headline, right? Who doesn’t love Captain America? Who doesn’t love Marvel? Everyone loves heroes. But, my question is...what makes someone a Hero?? Is it a cape? Super strength, speed, invisibility? What makes a hero a hero and what makes them “super”? I watch superhero movies. I love the Marvel movies almost as much as my brothers do. And I love DC too, Batman is my favorite! However, the older I got, the more I began to see that the people that were portrayed as “heroes”, didn’t always seem to fit the mold of what a real hero ought to be.

So, what does a real hero look like? “A person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character: or A person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal”~Hero | Definition of Hero at Dictionary.com

So, who are real heroes?
They are Parents, Grandparents, Mentors, Police Officers, Firefighters, Soldiers, First Responders, and everyday citizens working out to make this world a better place. How can these ordinary people be heroes?

I look at my own mother for an example. My Mother is a selfless person. She is always taking care of the family: sacrificing eating a hot meal to make sure we eat first while she finishes the work. Staying up late to get dinner for my dad when he gets home late or picks up someone from work at 11 pm. Taking up the slack that we leave, doing the dishes when no one else does. All the little things that may go unnoticed that makes life a little better and a little smoother. My Grandmother was the same way. She was always the last to eat, the first to give, and a beautiful example. She was always there to make sure everything was as good as it could be for us so that we had the best time. She was always doing things for us. Lots of parents, grandparents, and mentors do the same.

Police officers, firefighters, soldiers, first responders, literally risk their lives every day to save people. That is what makes a hero a real hero. Sacrificing their life for the sake of another.

Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13~NAB Translation

They do it for strangers and enemies too. How could you ask for a better hero than this?

But what about Captain America or Iron Man?

Yes, the heroes in the movies are courageous and have special abilities, they are selfless, right? Not all of them started out like that though. Iron Man cared only for himself at the beginning and Black Widow was an assassin.

I do have one complaint about the way modern heroes are portrayed though, Yes they make sacrifices, but are their lifestyles something that we can look up to? Sadly no, no they are not. Cap started off not using language, but slowly, little by little, he started using it, and they even made a joke about it. Vision and Scarlet Witch behave unacceptably. Hawkeye goes on a killing spree, Scarlet Witch kills UItron out of revenge, and Batman refuses to save a life and lets a man die.

So, what does this show to people who look up to the figures on the screen? It shows that this behavior is okay. And we all know that there are those kids who look up to the heroes as role models and aspire to be like them. But are they modeling a virtuous life? It would be one thing if they portrayed these things as wrong, but they don’t. Instead, it condones murder, revenge, unacceptable behavior, cursing, using God’s name in vain, sins of omission, etc.

Let’s use Iron Man for an example. He started out as a rich man, who wanted to drink, make money, and hang out with girls. He cared for himself and what he wanted. But, as the movies go on, he starts to become selfless. He gets past the idea of “It’s all about him” and works to protect others. He makes mistakes, but he tries to help people. He is sorry for his sins. And in the end, he gives up his peaceful life, his family, and his own life to save the world.

That’s a pretty good change. Now, he’s not perfect. He made plenty of mistakes and he did try to kill Bucky out of revenge for his hurt, which is never right. But, he did change a ton from the man he started out as.

But other heroes change for the worse, Vision, Hawkeye, even Captain America.

Are these the people we want to look up to?

I’m not saying to never watch these movies again. I still like some of the movies and the characters. What I am asking is: do you see what is wrong or are you desensitized to it? Or do you not care or it's not a big deal? Maybe you don’t look up to them and it doesn’t affect you like that. But can you say the same thing for your little brother, or your daughter, or your best friend? All I am asking is for you to ask yourself, who do you look up to for your definition of a hero?

I want to ask for you to notice the heroes in your life that are there every single day. Whether it is your parents, police, soldiers, etc., go call them up, or text them and say THANK YOU for the example they have been.

Let’s recognize the REAL HEROES today!!