Heroes

Long ago, heroes were thought of as those who died for something that they believed in, or someone who was a great warrior and brought peace to many nations. For instance, look at the life of Alexander the Great.
After inheriting his father's kingdom at the age of 20, his goal was to expand his empire as far east as possible. He immediately began conquering the nations starting with the city of Tyre. He then pushed through Palestine, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan. He also conquered Egypt (or, depending on your perspective, "liberated" Egypt from the Persians). Battle after battle was fought until all of Persia and most of the known lands belonged to Alexander.
Another example of heroes long ago would be the Christians that were martyred during the reign of Nero. Nero hated the Christians because they refused to worship the Roman rulers who were often regarded by their nations as gods. This horrible ruler made it a crime to be a Christian, and anyone who would not renounce their faith would be executed. These executions were often made into a sport or an entertainment that thousands of people would watch. Many heroes of the faith gave their lives for their belief in the one true God.
(I found it interesting that Constantine, the man who became ruler after Nero, declared it a crime NOT to be a Christian. Maybe he became a hero to the Christians living during his reign, but this was the beginning of a weakening in the Christian faith. Think about it. Either claim Christ as Lord or be persecuted. It would stand to reason that those who really didn't believe would claim to be a Christian to avoid being persecuted or possibly killed. This led to weak faith and false teachings. No wonder there is such a need for revival.)
Through the years the term of hero has kept it's status as an object of extreme admiration and devotion, but it seems like the heroes of our time our heroes of our imagination or heroes that are just ordinary people with high ideals and important titles.
Take the heroes of our children today. Instead of admiring people like Abraham or the Apostle Paul, our sons sit in front of the television hoping to be able to imitate the actions of Spider Man or Batman. Maybe they dream of becoming a Ninja like Michelangelo or Donatello, or be able to crash through buildings like Mr. Incredible. Our daughters dream of being as beautiful as Cinderella or Barbie. Maybe one day they will be able to sing and dance on stage like Brittany Spears. (I'm not really up on the modern entertainment...Is she still around??)
What about the people that the adults of today look up to? Just as Nero had the coliseum to enjoy watching the gladiators so long ago, so we have stadiums to enjoy watching our "heroes" perform today. We have concerts where various artists perform amidst the roar of the crowds. (Dare I mention the mosh pits present even within the so called "Christian" concerts?) What about the sports industry? Football, baseball, soccer - each one filled with athletes that so many look up to.
Do I think that having a hero is wrong? No. Not by any means. Having the right hero is the problem we face today. Are the heroes that we allow our children to imitate supporting our desire for them to imitate Christ in all things? Our the heroes that our children dream of one day being just like condoning sinful behavior in any way?
I like watching movies with my kids like Spider Man and Star Wars, but if we let them watch these movies over and over again to the point that their minds are filled with the passion to be just like these ""heroes", has it become anything less than idol worship?
I think that the kind of heroes I want for my children are not those beings with supernatural abilities, but normal human beings with an ambition to follow a supernatural God. Is there anything wrong with hoping that your kids see their dad or mom as a hero? Absolutely not! I can only hope and pray that my children see me as enough of a "hero" that they want to follow in my footsteps. I must continually pray that my life will be an example of godliness for my kids to imitate.
Speaking of her own daughter, Beverly LaHaye writes in her book Understanding Your Child's temperament, "I knew it was my responsibility to protect her from following other role models that would be contrary to what God wanted her to be, because children will look for heroes."