Hero

I think there is no other word in the english language that resonates more with me than Hero. From a young age there were spandex clad superheroes abound to look up to, and now as an adult seeing them re-imagined by hollywood makes me as nostalgic as a 22 year old can be. Thinking back to what my rapidly developing, sugar-ridden mind perceived as a hero, there were a few elements that struck me as profound. Strip away the super strength, laser vision and the fun gadgets and what do you get? One element that seemed to always bleed through was the notion of doing the right thing, sacrificing even, for the sake of others.

Where exactly is this going?

A few weeks ago I was driving to work when from the radio poured a song that made me mentally take a step back and reflect. The song was Hero by Abandon. In short it is the story of Jesus' life in 3 minutes and 45 seconds. The story itself is nothing new; it has been available in English for several hundred years to anyone who wanted it. However the way Abandon portrays the story is nothing like the 'Cotton Candy Christian' music that has become prevalent on the airwaves. By 'Cotton Candy Christian', I mean that it is good, but lacks substance.

The song is incredibly simplistic in terms of instrumentals, primarily just the piano, some stings and a bit of drum (as opposed to the more instrument heavy songs more common to this Christian Rock band). But there is nothing simplistic about the message.

Of the two verses the second struck me the hardest:

He spoke with clarity

And walked across the sea

A single word would calm the storm

His touch could heal the sick

But was called a hypocrite

Maybe I missed out

His death was surely mourned

He left the curtain torn

Think about it. He came with such power and authority that even nature obeyed him. He could cure illness with just a touch, or even a word. All this power, all this proof of who He was, and He was still denied the honor he rightfully deserved. The notion that He was who He said He was and the possibility that He could do what He did was deemed impossible, just some trick.

The closing chorus runs:

There he goes

The hero

The savior to the world

Here he stands

With Scars in his hands

With love

He gave

His life so we could be free

The savior of the world

What a perfect picture of what Christ was and is to this world. He was a hero. No. He was THE hero.

In our culture of being so independent, we do not rely on heroes like we did when we were kids. We always knew that if something were to go wrong someone would save us, be it Superman, a police officer or a parent. We grow up and realize Superman is just in the comic books and on silver screen. Police officers may be able to help if you're in danger, but what about emotional hurt? Parents, while they may be willing to do everything in their power to help, are still only human and thus run the risk of letting you down. So, we take on the mentality that there are some problems that can faced alone.

The truth is, we need a hero. If Jesus was able to conquer the forces of nature, sickness and even death, couldn't he be more than enough of a match for anything else? Its so easy to forget this. This song is a perfect reminder of who He was and who He should be to us.