Clark Kent needs to go inside the telephone booth to change his costume from a low profile journalist to the famous Man of Steel. Batman needs his gadgets and gizmos to fight against the most notorious criminals of Gotham City. Green Lantern must always wear his ring. Do you know that like them, you can also be a hero? No, you will not need to change your look or bring or wear something hi-tech. You don’t even need to earn a black belt in the martial arts.
Bestselling author Bo Sanchez said, “When you start to care for others more than you care for yourself, you become authentic and whole”. That is the starting point for all heroes.
Let’s take a look at Nehemiah for example. Nehemiah was working for the emperor and he was always at his side. He was trusted by the royalty who works closely with him. Needless to say, Nehemiah is living a comfortable life. He got everything he needed. His comfortable and serene life was changed when he asked one question; “How are the other Jews who have returned from exile?” He was disturbed by the answer. They told him that those who had survived were in great difficulty and the foreigners looked down on them. The walls of Jerusalem were still broken down and the gates had not been restored since they were burned. When Nehemiah, an established and respected man heard of this suffering, he wept. He wept not for his own pain, for he did not really have any at that time, but for these people he did not even know. He felt for them. He was stirred by the news he mourned for these strangers. When the emperor heard of this, he asked him what he wanted and he said he wanted to go to this land and help rebuild it.
Nowadays, you seldom see people helping each other even with simple tasks. We have become callous and so caught up in our own world we forget we are here for a purpose. We often forget our lives are intertwined. We are so focused on our own problems we look pass others who have bigger problems and who need our help.
We forget we are heroes. We forget our worth, gifts and abilities. We may not have superpowers and super strength but there are things we can do to save the world and make a difference.
Yes we should always pray. But what do we pray for? It is okay to ask something for yourself. A healthy self-love is important. But we must also remember to pray for others especially those who are in dire need. Don’t just pray for blessings, pray that God will use you to bless others too.
Allow God to push you out of your comfort zone. Who do you hang out with all the time? What are their concerns? Do they make you aware of the sufferings of the rest of the world? Mingle with the lowly. Get to know their stories, laugh at their jokes, cry with them, feel their pain, know their dreams and most importantly, remind them how to dream again. Volunteer in a ministry, talk to the non-religious. Reach out. Spread the fire!
We can change the world by taking the lead and starting something small which later on, can impact the whole mankind. Remember to pay it forward.
If you really think about it, all of us are heroes. At one point in our lives, we cared so much for others more than we care for ourselves. We have felt another person’s pain and cried over something that is not really our concern. We have done something small to us but may have meant the world to another. We are all humans and we are undoubtedly created for love. It is innate in us to feel for others. The question is, what do we do next? Do we ignore it and get on with our lives? Are we too busy healing or crying over our own wounds we turn a blind eye to those who are bleeding to death around us? Or like Nehemiah, do we leave the comforts of our own “palace” forget about our crosses and reach out to those who are agonizing?
You don’t have to wear a silly costume or acquire super powers to save the world. All you have to do is care enough and start reaching out to at least one soul…the rest will just follow.
