Everyday Superhero

EVERYDAY SUPERHERO (ESTHER 7)

An incredible story was untold by Hollywood when the Titanic sank. In 1912 Scottish evangelist John Harper was on the ship with his 6-year-old daughter to answer the call to be the new pastor of the famous Moody Church in Chicago when disaster struck. He got Nana into a boat but yelled at others: “Women, children and unsaved into the lifeboats!”

Survivors report that Harper gave his lifejacket to another man and witnessed to others while he was clinging to a piece of wreckage. Four year later, a man recounted: “I am a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting alone on a spar (pole) that awful night, the tide brought Mr. Harper, of Glasgow, also on a piece of wreck, near me. ‘Man,’ he said, ‘are you saved?’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘I am not.’ He replied, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved. The waves bore him away, but, strange to say, brought him back a little later, and he said, ‘Are you saved now?’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘I cannot honestly say that I am.’ He said again, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved,’ and shortly after he went down; and there alone in the night and with two miles of water under me, I believed.” (The Titanic’s Last Hero, Moody, 1997)

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/132/55.0.html

Stories of real heroes, their courage and sacrifice are often lost to the world today. If Hollywood, the media and entertainment industry have their way, the heroes today are the athletes, entertainers and the celebrities. But heroes are ordinary people who take their chances, make their choice and make a change.

Why do we need heroes? W ho is a hero and what does he or she do?

Show No Fear of Evil

7:1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, 2 and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life-this is my petition. And spare my people-this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” (Est 7:1-4)

A chief left his village for a long journey and put his three children in charge. His eldest son was the best hunter. “Little Eagle,” he said, “you must take command of the hunters; keep them keen and accurate for the winter will be harsh and the people will need much food to survive. Every hunter must be at his very best at all times.”

To his daughter Running Deer he said, “You must watch over the women of the tribe. They must gather food and weave many warm clothes to protect our people from the cold.” To his youngest son he said, “Falling Leaf, you are the tribe’s best dancer. Your responsibility is to free the people’s hearts with your dancing and ease their minds in difficult times. The spirit of our tribe is in your hands; do not fail them.”

Sometime later, when the Chief returned, he found many of his people dead and many more hungry and downhearted. Little Eagle said, “The winter was harsh, Father, as you predicted. The hunters went out every day, but game was scarce, they returned each night empty-handed and soon gave up hope.” The Chief touched his head and said, “No need for shame, my son, you have done your best.”

Running Deer also said, “Forgive me, Father, but the women were so saddened by the lack of food and their dying children that they stopped trying to gather food in the snow. We have woven what we could, but it was not enough for everyone.” The Chief dried his tears and said, “No shame, my daughter, you have done your best.”

Then the Chief turned to Falling Leaf and asked, “My son, when the cold winter oppressed the people and lack of food broke their spirit, did you not dance to give them hope and memories of better days?” “I did not,” said Falling leaf. “It seemed too frivolous and foolish to dance in the face of such despair. I sat in my tepee and wept for our fate.” Then the chief was sad and stern, “In the face of such tragedy, your gift was the only hope for our tribe! But you would not give. You have not done well, my son; you have failed your people. Leave now and let me never see your face again.”