We love our heroes. The success of Thor and the bevy of superheroes due to invade both the big and small screen is, I think, an illustration of that. We’re all looking for folks we can look up to, folks we can emulate, folks who put their own lives in danger for the good of others.
Sometimes I wonder if we make up so many of our heroes—give them capes and cool cars and superpowers aplenty—because we have so few real ones.
But that’s not exactly true, is it? We have scads of heroes. When you think about the countless police and firemen and paramedics who serve us, who protect our lives, our property and well-being, who sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice … well, you know we have heroes aplenty.
But these men and women aren’t from Krypton. They don’t have superstrength or the ability to fly. They’re human, just like we are—and they face some very human issues.
Beginning today and ending May 13, Focus on the Family’s flagship radio show will examine both these heroes and the problems they encounter. In conjunction with Responder Life—a ministry dedicated to giving first responders the emotional and spiritual support they so deeply need—Focus will delve into the extraordinary pressures these people experience on the job and how it can affect their psyches and their families. Their high-stress jobs can, quite frankly, impact their view of God. How could it not? When you deal with death every day, and when you’re confronted with the horrors that we humans can inflict on one another, it’d be enough to challenge many a faith.
When I was a wee lad of 5, my father was a fireman—the only paid fireman in our tiny, tiny town—and I spent much of my earliest years scampering around the house with a big plastic fire hat on the top of my head. But he wasn’t around to see it much. He’d be called away on a moment’s notice, and sometimes not be home ’til morning. My mom and I often ate meals alone.
I think we all understand these first responders are heroes. We know they risk their lives. But sometimes I’m not sure if we’re fully aware of the other sacrifices they make.
The upcoming movie Courageous (to be released Sept. 30), made by the same folks who brought us Fireproof, will talk about some of those issues, too. (You can watch the trailer right here.)But in the meantime, check out Focus’ daily broadcast, if you can. Learn about what it’s like to be a hero, the costs involved—and how the rest of us can help.
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