Dictionary.com
defines a hero as a person of distinguished courage and ability,
admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities.
In a world that seems fascinated by all things heroic, it would be
appropriate to place a picture of the pilgrims and that first
Thanksgiving as an example of this definition. They chose to be full of
courage and faith. They faced insurmountable difficulties to achieve
what they felt God had called them to do. Today we continue to reap the
benefits of their heroism. And they did all of this without the benefit
of spandex, capes, or iron suits...
In
the world of popular music, heroism can be a relative term. To fans, an
artist or act can be seen as a hero for charitable acts they perform or
the complications they overcome in their "industry" life to achieve the
height of stardom. To the acts themselves, a hero may be the people
"along the way" that have assisted in the achievement of the dream. To
record labels, a hero may be defined by the number of units an act
sells, thus generating profitability for the label and the artist.
There is a select group of artists who would be deemed as heroes by the
recording industry. Those artists that have recorded music whose units
have sold into the millions. The following link details the best
selling singles of all time which individually and collectively
generated a great deal of profit. "Best Selling Singles" - wikipedia.com
You
may notice that there are only a handful of "repeat" artists on the
list. One of those is Bonnie Tyler. She sold over six million copies of
"It's A Heartache" (1977) and "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" (1983). She
is currently working on her 17th album,
a collaboration with Jim Steinman who wrote "Total Eclipse Of The
Heart" as well as many of Meatloaf's hits. She is also the singer of our
featured Song 'O The Day, here is Bonnie Tyler with her 1984 top 40 hit
from the soundtrack of the movie Footloose...
You
need look only as far as this year's box office to see that we have a
fascination with heroes. These heroes are a diverse lot. A pale
weakling can be transformed into a battle ready soldier with the help of
a serum. A mild mannered doctor can be transformed into a raging green
destruction machine with the help of a little anger and the right dose
of gamma radiation. A tree life form from another planet can...well,
will remain a tree life form from another planet until partnered with a
mutated racoon and other interesting aliens to become a band of heroes
saving the entire universe from destruction. Not only do the box office
smashes have heroes in common, come to find out they are all
interconnected in some way or another. Put them all together in the
right sequence and you begin to see the overarching story line...or at
least you see the dude who shows up in each film in a cameo role
"watching" all of it unfold. It is fascinating to see how with each
successive element of film, tv, and now streaming video, this world full
of heroes saves the day.
This manner of telling stories through interconnectivity
is not new. The retelling of small stories as a compendium to a much
larger tale has been going on for quite some time. It begins with the
beginning and ends with the end. "In the beginning...Amen." It is the
tale of one hero, or more specifically a Savior. This collection of
stories has been around since a man named Moses first picked up his
writing instruments and it continues until a man named John pens the
last words. This book is the Bible and in it you can find story after
story of incredible feats of courage, sacrifice, and yes heroism.
Similar to the afore mentioned comic book universe, there is an
overarching story that permeates every sinew of the smaller tomes that
populate it. To find the common thread, sometimes you really do have to study to show your self approved, (2 Samuel 14:14b - "But
God would not take away a life; He would devise plans so that the one
banished from Him does not remain banished."HCSB) and then other times
it is right in your face (Luke 22:70 - "They all asked, "Are you then the
Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." NIV).
As
you read the Bible, book by book, chapter, by chapter, and verse by
verse, you see Jesus as the overarching theme. "In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, He was with
God in the beginning." John 1:1-2 HCSB. "He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The
grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen." Revelation
22:20-21. The imagery of Jesus is rich as you turn each page of the
Bible. Abraham being told to sacrifice Isaac, Israel's bondage and
deliverance in Egypt, and the writings of the prophets that are only
fulfilled through the life of Jesus, all fill the tapestry of the Bible
with the colors of Jesus. In the passage from 2 Samuel 14 above, we
find King David being asked for the return of his banished son Absalom
to Jerusalem. Please take a moment to read the full story for context.
It is found in 2 Samuel (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+1&version=HCSB). As I was reading this story, this passage struck me hard as I could
see the mirror image of what God must have in mind for us. The plan in
our situation is Jesus. God has no intention of leaving us banished
from the garden. We must however, be willing to accept His plan for
forgiveness and restoration. Again, that plan is Jesus.
During
this season, let me encourage you to read the Bible. It is filled with
stories of heroic deeds that rival anything else you may read or
watch. You may soon discover interweaved between the stories of
dysfunctional families, shepherds killing giants, and prophets calling
down fire, a reoccurring theme that fills every page with the plan that
speaks to the very spirit that is inside of you. You may have a sense
that somewhere just beyond my reach there's someone reaching back for
me...that plan, that thread, that theme is Jesus.
'Til Tuesday
Randy
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