All Stars.

A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy’s shoulder to let him know the world hadn’t ended. –Batman J

We all know them: people who always seem to know just what to do, and they do it. They don’t expect applause or fanfare; they just see a need and they seek to eliminate it, or lessen the pain of the moment. In my mind, these people are true heroes.

The Letter to the Hebrews is filled with what amounts to a heroes’ roll call. Moses and Abraham, Rahab, Gideon, Samuel and so many more—so many the author themselves states they haven’t time to name them all—are remembered as folks without whom biblical history would have looked quite different. (In fact, the genealogy that begins Matthew’s gospel has a similar function reminding the reader of the heroic ancestry from which they are descended.)

All the unsung heroes are neither biblical—nor historical. They surround us every day, in little ways. Most of them would still prefer not to make the eleven o’clock news, but in our highly public world today, that’s often unavoidable.

But the sign of a true hero, in my book, is getting away with remaining unsung and uncelebrated. This week, see what “heroics” you can get away with. How will you change one person’s life for the better? (You never, ever know. . . .)

Monday Scan the obituaries, either from Sunday’s paper or the internet. Read the bios of a few people. Look for heroics. Give thanks. Psalm 80:1-2

Tuesday Be a hero today with your words. Thank a cashier; smile at a struggling parent. Offer a compliment without expecting one in return. Psalm 80:8-19

Wednesday Be a hero today with a small action. Hold a door; pick up trash at the park. Buy a cuppa for the person behind you in line. Jeremiah 23:23-24

Thursday Remember a hero in your life, not an obvious one, but someone whose small act of kindness changed your world. Give thanks. Jeremiah 23:25-29

Friday Reach out to someone who was a difference-maker (hero) in your younger life. Send a note; make a phone call. You never know; it may be your time to return the favor! Psalm 82

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, ask God to show you a strength you may not have been aware of. Now go and let that light shine for good. Hebrews 11:29-34

Sunday Worship God as maker of heroes, greatest among the great. Amen. Hebrews 11:35-12:2

No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it. 
–Andrew Carnegie