Our Heroes
People seem to need heroes. We seek role models to look up to, to emulate, and maybe even idealize. Hero worship, it is called in contemporary parlance. This, of course, in theological parlance would be called idolatry. Our worship is due to God alone. Our heroes, therefore, should be those whose exemplary life glorified God in one way or another. As Christians, therefore, we should look up to those who sacrificed for the name of Jesus Christ. In Church, we learn of and celebrate those heroes whose lives were dedicated to Christ Jesus. They are the saints, the holy ones of God.
In our day and age, everyone seems to be striving to be rich and famous, sexy and brilliant, loved and liked in our social media. Is it not insane? What should be the case, though, is that we would want to emulate the men and women of God. We should strive to be more like the saints. In the Divine Liturgy, we ourselves are called "the holy people of God." We should want practically speaking to become saints as well.
This is not arrogant or proud. It is humble and sincere, because what it means practically is to try to do what Jesus would do. Or better, what Jesus would want us to do. This indeed is why God became man. He became man to lead us to salvation. We are led when we follow His Way, live by His teachings, and love one another. He established His Church that we may be holy as He is holy. We should long to be back in His Church and strive always to be led by Him, for, as it says in Hebrews, “He is the same today, yesterday, and forever.”