My hero isn’t Batman anymore
This past weekend there was a guest speaker at the church I attend and now work at as a designer. Pastor Wendy Perez was her name and she came on stage with so much energy I was immediately captivated. I was heads up and listening. She was talking about the book of James. She was talking about parenting, kids, the church, and Jesus. As a kid, my hero was Batman.
Church, in my family growing up, was seen as just something you need to do every once in awhile. It wasn’t seen as your home away from home and opportunity to connect and celebrate with other believers. I wasn’t a believer as a kid. I don’t think my parents were believers. We lived a fairly normal life. We’d get gifts during Christmas. We’d go to places on the weekend or during the summer. We’d visit family and friends. We’d pour our hearts and minds to doing great work at the jobs we were employed at.
What was missing were the sit-downs and tough conversations kids and parents have with each other. They are trying to better understand and connect with one another. And looking back, knowing what I know today, I strongly feel Jesus would have helped my family. We just chose not to allow Him to. He wasn’t my hero. He wasn’t any of my family’s hero.
It’s been two years since I was saved at my church. And when Pastor Wendy Perez said that we should be encouraging our kids to identify their superheros to be their teachers, pastors, or even Jesus Himself we’re moving in the right direction, I said, “Amen!”
Superheroes like Batman we’re my superhero because that is what pop-culture and many of my friends gravitated to. But, today I and many of the people I surround myself with gravitate to one of their heroes being a teacher, a pastor, or Jesus Himself.
But, a superhereo like Batman is based on fictional stories created by some very creative people.
Whereas a hero like a teacher, pastor, or Jesus is based on reality and stories that only creative people can try and replicate in the characters they create.
A hero is someone real that you look up to for guidance.
The work they do is solely because of and for you. If this hero is your parent, teacher, best friend, pastor, Jesus, or a real human being you’re on the right track to a life filled with real meaning and purpose. That’s a good life.
There’s no what would Batman do. There’s only what would Jesus or anyone of His people do.
