Alex Sullivan, whom I wrote about last week, was hailed as a hero. Along with a number of others who gave their lives up by stopping bullets with their bodies. Ironically they were there to watch a movie about a fictional hero, Batman. Where was the real-life version when they needed him? No one intervened to rescue them from the carnage of that crazed killer. Not even Jesus.

Legend and lore are filled with heroes. In this country it’s larger than life figures who helped forge our nation. People like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. For those enamored with the old west it’s Kit Carson or Lewis and Clark. We have modern day heroes who tend to play professional sports, like Michael Jordan or Hank Aaron or Michael Phelps. We have “social heroes” like Frederick Douglas, Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony, Dorothy Day and MLK Jr. (Interesting to me that it’s women who came first to mind in this category). Sometimes we try turning politicians into heroes—still can’t figure this one out. So many heroes, but inevitably they all fail us, for they’re only human.

I have heroes, but not the aforementioned type. Mine are everyday heroes, regular people. My mom and dad, both deceased, come immediately to mind. There’s others, most of whom are very close to me. My favorite is my four year old grandson. I know, I sound like a doting grandparent who’s about to extoll the virtues of his offspring’s offspring. Not really. Yes, he’s cute and smart and all that good stuff that almost every grandparent gushes over. But that’s not what makes him my hero. You see, my grandson was born with allergies. Severe ones. And lots of them. The type that can kill a kid. Quickly. He’s spent the first four and a half years of his life living on the edge, without knowing it—at least for a long time. He does now. He has become aware that some foods aren’t “safe”. His diet has been very restrictive. He hasn’t been able to eat, and as a result, do a lot of the things that other little kids his age do. No outings to McDonalds (ok, maybe that’s not such a terrible thing), no ice cream and cake for birthday parties. In fact, often-times he hasn’t been able to attend other kids’ birthday parties due to the preponderance of foods present that are essentially poison for him. No candy. No Captain Crunch cereal. Wherever he goes he is accompanied by the ever-present epi pen.

As a small child he wasn’t aware of this special challenge, but now he is. And here’s the thing: he doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself or complain. In fact, he’s an incredibly happy little kid! He has an attitude on life that I’d like to emulate. And he has faith! Vibrant faith. He loves “playing church”, pretending to be the pastor. His aunt Mary Jo even made him a mini-stole to wear! He “preaches” sermons. Much of what he says makes more sense than what I’ve said, or heard other pastors say! Honestly. He believes, among other things, that Jesus lives in the mountains, along with other loved ones who have died. He doesn’t worry about “living a good life” or “evangelizing” the world for Jesus. His faith is a natural part of who he is. I think this is as close as I can come to defining what it means to walk in the light of Christ. And that’s why he’s my hero. And so is his mom.

She’s been given the task—the labor of love—of keeping her son alive. It has required constant vigilance on her part, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Even though she has taken every precaution possible to safe-guard him, there’s always the possibility that foods that are deemed “safe” could be cross-contaminated. She may have asked that question that we all do; “Why”? I don’t know. I do know that in the midst of all of this she’s kept her faith as well. I don’t think she believes that Jesus lives in the mountains, but I am pretty convinced that she believes that Jesus is living with her son. And that she couldn’t do this without Him. For that she, along with her husband, are my heroes.

Not nearly as exciting as Lincoln, King or even Batman. But they’re just as inspirational, maybe more-so! And unbeknownst to them it serves as a reminder of what it means to have faith!