Real Heroes

My son, Robert, introduced me to author J.R.R. Tolkien a number of years ago and I often think of his writings when there is conversation about the importance of community and how it offers support during difficult times. Tolkien created a fantasy world called Middle Earth as the setting for his Lord of the Rings trilogy. He raises the question of what makes a person a hero. The work supplies a simple answer: A hero is not necessarily the person with the biggest sword; rather, a hero is the person with the biggest heart who is willing to sacrifice for others. While powerful forces of good and evil are fighting a war to determine the entire future of Middle Earth, the true heroes are the hobbits, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee. As a Christian I know that our faith community calls us to make the right choices as we live in relationship with one another. Sometimes, this means we may become a hero or encourage someone else to be one. Isn’t it great to know that we are not in isolation when bad things occur and that heroes can be ordinary people living in the moment?