If not me, then who?
I want to be one of the men who runs into the chaos. I want to be a man of valor.
I want to be a hero.
From my earliest years, these desires were engrained in my DNA. Much like you, I had role models growing up who were bigger, stronger, and faster than I was. I knew that one day I wanted to be like Batman, The Rock, and Michael Jordan. I wanted to be someone to fight the bad guys. I wanted to charge forward in the face of danger. I wanted to be the person people could count on.
It seems like all young children have aspirations to do good in this world. We all admired those we deemed heroes when we were small. Somewhere along the line though, most people lose this desire to be a great force for good. We lose this passion for wanting to be the absolute best that we can be. We falsely believe that the only way to grow in maturity is to also kill our imagination. We willingly forfeit our sense of wonder, along with our hopes and dreams.
But this isn’t true for all people.
There are the select few who maintain this sense of duty toward selfless service. They push and challenge themselves to be the people who can protect and lead our society. If not for these people, the world would be far worse off than it is now. I want to talk about these people today, and I want to encourage each and every one of you to make the commitment to become one of these people – right now.
Two directions
We often imagine that chaotic situations are just pure madness and disorder, but there’s often a sense of clarity and slowness that people experience in the midst of them. You might think that on September 11, 2001, the streets of New York surrounding the collapsing World Trade Center buildings were filled with people running all over the place. The reality would be that everyone was actually heading in one of two directions: toward the danger or away from it.
What makes someone run toward a burning building, gunfire, or any other extreme danger? Some might say that it’s your training. After all, it’s what most of these people get paid to do.
Why do you believe that someone would risk their lives for the sake of another? I believe it’s because of a responsibility to a greater cause, mixed with an acceptance of the abiding reality that some causes, and some people, are worth dying for.
What are you willing to die for?
The men and women who ran toward the crumbling buildings in NYC on that fateful day had a deep sense of duty. They knew that their existence revolved around service to others, even if that meant risking death. Yes, it was their job to do what they did. Many of them were on duty and getting paid for what they did. But there’s no amount of money that can convince a selfish person to risk their life to save another person.
Wages don’t produce virtue.
As I watched the events unfold that day, I saw real-life, living examples of the type of person I wanted to be someday. I was eight years old at the time. I knew from that point on that I wanted to be a public servant. I admired the courage that they had in the heat of the moment. It’s one thing to admire the discipline and strength of others, but it’s another thing to cultivate those within yourself.
Everybody wants to live, but some are willing to die so that others might live. Many have died for the rights and freedoms that we enjoy today - and as William Wallace once said,
what will we do with that freedom?
As time went on, I made my dream come true in becoming an airborne ranger qualified US Army Infantry Officer. Through the years, however, I came to realize that not all heroes wear body armor. And that we are all called to live, and possibly die, for a greater cause.
Choose to be the hero
I hate the bystander effect. Psychology Today describes it in this way:
“The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation, against a bully, or during an assault or other crime. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is for any one of them to provide help to a person in distress. People are more likely to take action in a crisis when there are few or no other witnesses present.”
It’s amazing how easily we can become defense attorneys for our own sins but the judges, or even prosecutors, for the sins of others. Think about the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). We are so quick to determine that the priest and the Levite are careless asses who couldn’t bother to care for the man on the side of the road. But how often are we careless about the suffering going on around us?
Do you recognize and minister to the pain of those around you?
Do you die to yourself each day so that God can work miracles through you in the lives of others?
Not all of us put on bullet-proof vests and carry weapons each day, but this doesn’t mean that we aren’t called to be heroes, to be men and women of courage. I believe that the world is in the poor shape it is because of the amount of fear and selfishness that is currently plaguing our society, especially the Church. As leaders, we can’t afford to allow the bystander effect, sometimes more accurately described as bystander apathy, to have any place in our lives. When we come upon a need, our response should simply be, “If I do not do what’s right, who will?”
Every day we ought to hear the Lord calling out to us asking “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
God is gently calling you to be His disciple, His ambassador on earth, and His soldier to fight for good, even to the point of death. This death can be one of reputation. It could be the death of your will or selfish desires. It might be the death of some of your relationships. Are you willing to make sacrifices large and small to advance the Kingdom here on earth?
If you do not step up to play the hero in your story, I don’t know who will. Let’s offer a prayer today in deep thanksgiving for those who have and who continue to lay down their lives for our freedom. But let’s not let the prayer end there. After we offer our thanksgiving and admiration for the heroes who have come before us, let’s ask God to give us the strength and courage to go forth and be the hero other people need.
Remember our heroes.
Thank a hero.
Be a hero.
About the Author
Nathan Crankfield is a convert to the Catholic faith. He is a proud graduate of Bishop McDevitt High School, Mount St. Mary's University, and US Army Ranger School.
After serving four years of active duty in the US Army, he joined the staff at Dynamic Catholic as a parish consultant. He is the Founder and President of Seeking Excellence. Find more of his writing by visiting our blog section.