Heroic Virtue: VISION

By Charles F. Harper

Are You a Visionary?

Vision seems to be a prerequisite, if not the starting point, of the heroic journey. It requires a commitment from heroes to see the world “as if” ~ as if their vision was already a reality. In doing so they let their daily lives, their present, their NOW, be shaped and informed by their future vision. In effect, their vision of the future dictates their daily to-do list, imbuing even the lowliest task with meaning and purpose.

A vision is simply something people can see that naturally fills them with enthusiasm. Filled with this enthusiasm, they are attracted and drawn to address what they see or feel.  To understand this definition, reflect on how you felt after witnessing some injustice or tragedy on TV, in the theater or even on the street. Indeed, in that moment you may have felt sadness, anger or frustration. These feelings shape the beginnings of a heroic vision. Most commonly, heroic visions are formed by the personal experiences of the heroes themselves. These experiences could be a life-altering event or an experience which they themselves would never want to see visited on anyone else. Or it could be an experience which so positively affected them that they wanted to share their experience, faith and hope with a wider audience.

Visions begin with questions, and far from being distractions, they are powerful partners on the heroic journey. They stretch our heroes’ emotional and spiritual commitment and push their intellectual exploration, honing their vision into a picture of living color.  While the questions that arise may not have an immediate answer, like a seed that has been planted, these questions are processed and nurtured in their minds and hearts as they wrestle with their vision.

Today, thanks to the gifts of technology, we don’t have to have a built-in following of people or a forum to be a visionary. Everyone is capable of creating, or at least contributing to, a heroic vision. <p>Challenged to take a fearless inventory of our gifts, talents and shortcomings, we are asked to apply what resources we have toward turning our vision into a reality.  In this way, heroes, including you, have the power, the heroic power to discover and live your vision “as if” it is as real as the eyes you have to behold it, the ears you have to hear it and the imagination you have to embrace it. 

What injustice do you feel passionate about and what do you envision as a way to right the wrong or resolve the issue? What gifts/talents do you bring to bear on this problem/cause? Do you know others who are involved with this issue? What have they done? What could add to their efforts?

Foresight; idealism; purposefulness; dream; idea; revelation; epiphany; prophecy; mission