What Defines a Hero

     Hero -- a being of Godlike prowess and beneficence who often comes to be honored as a divinity -- at least that’s what the dictionary says. There are many definitions of a hero; some say it’s a hero who shoots lasers from their eyes or flies faster than the wind. Others say it’s a knight galloping on his horse across forbidden land to rescue his princess, who is a hero. Many think a hero is of great stature such as a king, president, or a god. However, I think a hero can be an ordinary person doing extraordinary deeds, a small person with a big heart, or a person who stands for what’s right instead of following the crowd. A hero doesn't need supernatural powers because they have a loyal servant heart and they have a fierce determination. Now answer this question: Would you rather have tremendous superpowers or inspiring character?

     Unquestionably, heroes have many character traits and, in my eyes one of those traits is being a devoted servant. Take martyrs for example, these are people who die for worshiping God. There are 90,000 people who die for their Christian faith every year and Father Ragheed Ganni is one of them. He was a Catholic priest in Iraq that was threatened to convert to Islam or die. Instead fearing for his life, Father Ragheed stood up for his faith and said “No”. Being born in a free country, I will never know how it feels to worship God when no one else is. The ultimate martyrs are the twelve disciples: Peter, James the Less, John, Andrew, Bartholomew, James the Great, Judas, Jude, Matthew, Philip, Simon, Thomas. These twelve men learned first hand what Jesus teaches in Bible. Some of these men even penned parts of the Bible. They saw Jesus before and after the cross; they became one of the first martyrs for their faith, Christianity. Sometimes I don't appreciate the blessings of being in a free country: it is easy to forget how hard it is to be a Christian in other parts the world. On the other hand, people with servant hearts are also in our everyday life, such as Mr. Schulz. He is always serving God and giving Him credit for everything he is good at or blessed with. He begins almost every class by saying, “This is not my classroom; it’s God’s classroom,”  He never fails to give the utmost respect to God. Not only, does he serve God, but he serves others. He volunteers himself to take other teacher’s trash at lunch and take their responsibilities. Some say Mr. Schulz is an angel from God because he acts as if he were holy, but I think he is a fearful, humble servant of God. You do not need to be a martyr to have a servant heart -- all you need is a everlasting relationship with God. Heroes come in different shapes and sizes, but all heroes have colossal hearts.

     Often times, a hero faces adversity and has to be determined enough to accomplish their goal. Everyone is determined in their own way; for example, Martin Luther King led nonviolent protest in the 1960’s for African Americans. Many were eager to fight with fists yet King would not support that. He was persistent with his goal of not falling into the black stereotype of being violent. He once stated,”I have decided to stick with love because hate is too great a burden.”Furthermore, Bethany Hamilton was pounded by the biggest wave of her life but would not stay down. At thirteen years old Bethany’s arm was taken by a fourteen foot tiger shark; at that point, all hope was lost for her to become a professional surfer. At first, the only person that wanted Bethany to surf again was herself. Her strong will led to winning a national surfing title only a year after the shark attack. Because of her ongoing persistence, she has won numerous titles, written an award winning book, and had a movie made about her story. Ending on this, Albert Einstein is considered to have the most intellectual achievements in scientific history. He was not able to walk until he was four years old. He was not able to read until he was seven. Albert was doubted and called mentally handicapped by his own parents and teachers. This took a toll on Albert because now no one cared about him anymore. He was expelled from school because he was too stupid. As a young adult, Albert found a love for science and became curious about everything he saw and experienced. Thus, creating the laws of science we know today. Even with adversity staring him down -- Albert Einstein became the greatest scientist and the most steadfast man we know today. Determination is pushing through when everyone is doubting you, and that’s what makes these people heroes.

     Heroes are in the past and the present, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Mr. Schulz. They can also be different ages: not all heroes are elderly. I can learn from the head-strong Bethany Hamilton, as well as the servant heart of Father Ragheed. Heroes come in different shapes, ages, and forms, but they all have a devoted servant heart and relentless determination. Even though these people are seen as heroes, the ultimate hero is God. Now one would serve the people who killed his son. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” No one has persevered as much as Him to free the people they love. In Exodus, God commanded to Pharoah,” Let my people go.” God is the ultimate hero because of his character, and I would rather have His character rather than a superpower.