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How to Be an Everyday Hero

How to Be an Everyday Hero

Last updated on: July 9, 2016 at 8:38 am by Susan Cottrell

How to Be an Everyday Hero 2016-07-09T08:38:15-05:00 Susan Cottrell

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StoryoftheDay_Dragon “Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. That’s what takes a real hero.” – Brian Andreas.

Sometimes I can get a little snarky. I have wondered if it’s too much. Every day, especially over the past two weeks, we hear way too much negativity, piling on, attacks, condemnation on social media and elsewhere. Non-affirming Christians and gays Christians, members of one letter in LGBTQ and someone of a different letter in LGBTQ, conservatives and liberals, fundamentalists and progressives, Beatles fans and Stones fans… I could go on and on.

I have to admit, I have taken part in it. Thank God I get to edit these posts before I publish them!

We have been loved – by God and by others – more than we know, beyond our quirks. I think if we could just see ourselves through God’s eyes, see how much we are truly, deeply, unconditionally loved, it would change everything.

If we truly understood how unconditionally loved we are, we could not help loving others unconditionally. If we truly understood how radically included we are, we could not help but radically include others.

Of course we stand against and protect our children from the hate, abuse and bullying. How could we justify anything less?

In all this discussion and debate, let us not forget the love, the empathy, the compassion. That is the heart of the gospel.

Brian Andreas is the artist of the image above and the one who said “Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. That’s what takes a real hero.”

Well, what about this…

Anyone can condemn others, but try waking up every morning and loving and embracing anyone you come across. That’s what takes a real hero.

Honestly. It’s easy to judge. We can always come up with a reason.

But imagine loving anyone. And everyone. That’s the invitation.

And that’s where real life happens!

When it comes to loving others, we can all do better.

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