(Tom Sehmel)
Suicidal Heroes
Musicians. Sport figures. Television and movie stars. We don't call them heroes anymore. We don't really look up to them either. But they have a big impact on our choice of clothing, the way we talk, the activities that take up our time.What makes them different from you and me? Well, for starters, probably several million dollars. They are the top of their fields. Along with thousands of other people we want to know what they are up to. They have overcome the odds and made it. In their fields, they are the heroes. And yet several of these stars have committed suicide. Some have had accidental deaths. Some get their lives really messed up and we don't hear about them much anymore. Not only are their lives destroyed, we often pull back and stop believing in heroes. Sometimes we just stop trying.
Think about these questions
- Who are some people that have made it in their fields, have risen to the
level of heroes, and aren't around any longer? What happened?
- Who are some people that have made it in their fields, and have been around for awhile, staying on top?
- What does it take to be a hero?
A few Sundays ago I listened to a group of teenagers. They were singing about a hero. This hero made it to the top despite the opposition. And, like modern heroes, this person died early, and terribly. Unlike other heroes, this person didn't access success in a particular science field, or sport. He succeeded in overcoming life itself. And to prove it, he conquered death.
The group of teenagers was from Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor, Washington. The musical was "He's Alive," by Claire Cloniger and Gary Rhodes. The person they were singing about is Jesus Christ. Jesus is a hero that won't be gone tomorrow.
Check these out
| "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." -- John 3:16-17 (NIV) |
| "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -- Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) |
On a Side Note
The group from Chapel Hill did an excellent job. They weren't moping around singing about a dead hero. They were all into it. They had a reason for singing, and they expressed it with singing, choreographed movement, narration, and their faces. I particularly appreciated the voice of the young man who sang the last several songs, including the theme song, "He's Alive." In appearance he reminded me of Kurt Cobain. But this singer had a reason for living, and he found it in Jesus Christ. To the high school group at Chapel Hill, thanks for sharing your talent and powerful ministry.