The Heroes We Worship

There has been a photo circulating on social media in the last couple of days that, while disrespectful in some way, speaks volumes in others.

Here is it ….

Cory Monteith’s death from a mix of heroin and alcohol is indeed a very sad event and yes, this photo unfairly “dismisses” him.

But listening to the outpouring of grief, including the number of people who indicated that they may need counselling to go on, seemed a little disturbing to me.

One person interviewed on the radio indicated she would miss the person who wrote and sang “Jesse’s Girl”.  Sorry, Rick Springfield, it appears that you have been demoted.

When I think of heroes and the people who we worship, I think of those who make sacrifices for others or who go above and beyond for the greater good.

How about when a soldier or first responder dies, that we have the opportunity to hear his or her life story – how they put everything on the line, including their family, so that we could enjoy freedom, safety and security?

How about businessmen or, yes, even some politicians, who have made a large impact in the world through their efforts?  With all due respect, Steve Jobs is not the only businessman who has impacted our world significantly and other great leaders deserve an opportunity for their story to be shared when they pass on.

How about other unsung heroes in our community who make our world a better place just because they were in it?

Their efforts inspire us to do better for ourselves and others.

So why don’t we hear more about them?

Who we worship (outside of personal religious beliefs) is a strong indicator of our upbringing, our character, our values and what we think matters in the world.

All of those attributes are not only a reflection of who we are but play a significant role in forming our future and the future of the world.

The question becomes …… who do you worship?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Addendum

We need to be careful also that we don’t accidentally create hero worship by the way a story gets treated.  Rolling Stone magazine is facing a lot of criticism for how it featured the Boston Marathon bomber on the cover of its recent issue, as discussed here.

The cover of the magazine makes the bomber look “cool” as shown below.

We need to be more cognizant of that which we portray as “desirable” lest we create more people who seek to emulate it / them.