Psalm 16:3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
I once heard someone say, “A nation that fails to honor their heroes will soon have no heroes to honor.” So who are our country’s heroes? Who are your heroes?
Colson Center Senior Fellow Dr. Bill Brown observes that heroes make history in other countries. In ours, they make albums and touchdowns. Or if you’re in the 5-10-year-old range, your heroes probably wear tights and capes.
However, one bright cultural spot occurred during Covid. Banners waved across hospitals declaring Heroes Work Here. And rightly so. The women and men who worked long hours, days and months, putting their own health at risk for the sick, proved worthy of honor. But how did we treat them after the crisis passed? Thousands of those heroes lost their jobs for refusing the vaccine, as did service men and women, police officers and firefighters.
Tim Keller, in his book, Forgive, describes how we have turned from being an honor to a shame culture. Those garnering the most honor claim victimization from those in power. “The further down the existing social ladder one is, the greater honor is possible,” he writes. The heroes by today’s standards become those who demand respect and affirmation for their personal identity. Selfless sacrifices made in order to help other people no longer define heroism. The “courageous” ones consist of those who defy moral boundaries to “bravely” express themselves.
It’s hard not to think our culture is suffering from hero-confusion.
So where do we look for heroes?
I think of what David said in Psalm 16. He recognized the “excellent ones” as the saints in the land. I believe he got it right. Saints are heroes because they display the virtues of the greatest hero who ever walked the earth. All the people I consider heroic reveal some aspect of Jesus Christ.
Jesus stood up to the religious legalists who were misrepresenting God. He showed compassion to folks others wouldn’t even touch. He performed miracles but avoided all the traps of power and fame. No one lived a more selfless, sacrificial life, and no one showed us the beauty of surrender like he did.
Our culture is starving for true heroes. There’s no better time for “the excellent ones” to rise and clear up the confusion.