Hero Posers

by Joel Bates

Have you ever been recognized as a hero?  I’ve experienced this accolade a few times in my outdoor pursuits. There was the time a few buddies and I climbed Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.  Just loading our climbing gear in the busy, tourist parking lot attracted a lot of hero worship, and we hadn’t even set foot on the climb yet.  As one of my friends simply walked along the base of the Tower with his rack of climbing cams slung over his shoulder, he drew a small crowd of curious hikers.  By the time I caught up to him, he was lecturing like a college professor on the finer points of lead-climbing.  For all the crowd knew, he was as expert as they come.  I knew better since he and I had only done lead-climbs a handful of times. 
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Later after we had made it to the top and descended back to the base, we truly felt a little less like posers and more like the real deal.  Eager hero worshippers, who wanted to have their picture taken with us when we returned to the parking lot, bolstered our egos.  They seemed to think that whatever it was they admired about us would rub off on them a little.  What they didn’t know was that I hadn’t slept a wink the night before, fearing that I might die climbing the route.  They didn’t know that we had chosen the absolute easiest way up and that we barely knew what we were doing.  They had no idea that our heroism was more an illusion that a reality and that, in truth, under the image and climbing equipment, we were normal—just like they were.  

This hero phenomenon captured me again recently when a crowd began to materialize near the top of the south rim of the Grand Canyon, clapping and cheering for our bedraggled, grubby band of backpackers making our final, painfully slow approach to the completion of our rim-to-rim-to-rim hike.  One adoring couple celebrating their honeymoon peppered me with questions about where to find the best Grand Canyon vistas, the distances to various overlooks, and whether the trail was as treacherous as Trip Advisor had warned.  I didn’t want to disappoint them, so I told them what I knew.  Overhearing our conversation, a family encircled me with awe in their eyes and begged for advice on whether I thought they could make it to the bottom and back in one day.

My ego ballooned as I shared my opinions and insight until it dawned on me that not three days earlier, I knew next to nothing about the Grand Canyon.  I had not been to the Canyon since age 12 and, believe me, I didn’t remember anything from that trip except the beauty and the heat.  Just like at Devil’s Tower, I had gone from zero to hero in the span of a few days.  Trudging out those last steps near the top of the rim, hearing the accolades from adoring, perfect strangers, I began to really like the feeling of being a hero. 

We loaded our gear into the truck and headed down the highway for home without delay.  Every car that passed held passengers who, I’m sure if they had known whom they were passing, would have slowed down to pay homage.  We stopped for gas, and as I pumped fuel into the tank, nobody took even the slightest notice of me!  Could they not read my new T-shirt stretching across my puffed- out chest that boasted, “Rim2Rim2Rim?”  These ignoramuses had no idea what we had just done, and they didn’t really care.  Even back home, our friends and family eagerly listened to our stories, showed delight in the pictures of the Canyon’s majesty, and acknowledged the achievements kindly…and then relegated us back to normal status.  My total 15 minutes of being a celebrity-status hero among a throng of about 25 people was over.  I think that makes me an official hero-poser.  

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All of this fleeting renown caused me to think, how does any hero remain constant over the ages?  I can’t remember off the top of my head who won the MVP in the super bowl 10 years ago.  I don’t remember who won an Oscar for best actor last year or the year before.  Moreover, few of us could even remember the most famous people from the 1950’s or 60’s.  I’m not suggesting that we succumb to hero worship; I’m just trying to understand how we can be so dedicated one minute and fickle the next.  How can one go from being a raw novice one minute to being an honored expert the next and then come full circle back to taking up space in the “average-person line?” 
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Experts, according to one online essay I read, say, “Hero worship is deeply rooted in how we form attachments and learn from others….we still look for figures who embody strength, success, and security,” (takingthehelmcounselling.co.uk).  This helps make sense of why people can so quickly attach themselves to those they view as larger than life.  But there is a dark side.  According to the same online source, “One of the biggest dangers of hero worship is the development of unrealistic expectations.”  That idea explains why so few of us last very long as heroes.  In truth, we weren’t really all that heroic to begin with.  

As I pondered all this, I thought of all the heroes and famous people whose reputations have lasted over the ages, and I couldn’t think of anyone more successful at this than Jesus.  It’s amazing how He’s accomplished this, considering that studies show people to be drawn to heroes who permeate strength, success, and security.  Let’s look at Jesus’ track record for this.

• Strength?  He was hung on a cross, meekly led there like a sheep to the slaughter. 
• Success?  Wasn’t it Jesus who told His disciples that if they wanted to be the greatest, they had to first become the servant of all—that the first would be last?
• Security?  In one biblical account, Jesus tells a man to sell everything he owns, give the proceeds to the poor, and then come follow Him. 

Jesus seems to get it all wrong if He wants to build a reputation as a hero. Nevertheless, He’s the most stalwart, heroic figure in history.  What are we missing?
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There’s something in us that loves and admires that which we aspire to be but rarely, if ever, achieve, like the tourists who admired our Grand Canyon achievement.  Some of them may have been inspired to hike the rims themselves someday, and they certainly could recognize the hard work we had put into accomplishing the feat.  Then, there’s a part of us that makes a hero out of one who does what we have not had the courage, discipline, or strength to do ourselves.  

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With Jesus it’s so much more. 

• Strength?  He’s the one man who stood toe to toe with the religious leaders, putting them in their place, and the common folk loved it.  He’s the commander of the host of heaven, and He can destroy demons with nothing more than a glance.
• Success?  Looking at His commonplace disciples, He said, “I give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the very gates of Hell will not be able to stand against you.”  “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these… and I will do whatever you ask in my name.”​  “Whatever you give up for Me it will come back to you a hundredfold.”
• As for Security?  He promised, “My yoke is easy;” “Ask the heavenly father for whatever you need and it will be given;” and “I am the Prince of Peace.” 

As if that weren’t enough to solidify Him in the ultimate, hero hall of fame, there’s one act He did that sealed the deal.  He accomplished something we could never do.  He climbed a cross and hung there till He died…till He had made right all that was ever wrong…till He had forgiven every sin in the universe…till He reconciled sinful man to wrathful God.  Just hours before He did this, He sat down in a quiet, tucked-away, upper room with just a few of His closest friends and simply said, “What I’m about to do…Remember it.” 
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So, whether you’re doing something heroic and feeling good about it or honoring a hero who’s done great deeds, keep things in perspective and remember: there’s only one Savior and His name is Jesus!

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"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
Hebrews 1:3 ESV