My Hero...

What is a hero? Is the definition personal or global? If we look to Webster’s 1913 definition, a hero is a man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event. Emerson said that ‘each man is a hero…to somebody.’ Merriam-Webster’s current definition specifies that a hero is a person admired for achievements and noble qualities and/or one who shows great courage. So how did I create my fictional hero, Jack Lockwood?

Not surprisingly, Jack wasn’t created using a dictionary, he was created by examining those men in my life who are my hero archetypes—my father, my father-in-law, my brother and my husband. Why are they my heros? Because each of these men are/were faithful. Whether in big things or in small, whether in their personal relationships, their work relationships, or when no one was watching, they are/were faithful to their callings. That’s not to say that they didn’t make mistakes, but it is to say that they learned from those mistakes, looked to God as their example, and that, in the end, made each of them more faithful.

So it is with my fictional hero, Jack Lockwood. When the story opens, Jack isn’t perfect or larger than life. He’s just a man. While he’s middle-aged, graying, has regrets and is alone, he’s mostly content with where he is in life. By the time we’ve finished reading Chapter 1 of Beyond Belief, there’s little doubt that Jack is a worthy hero or at least worthy of hero-in-waiting status. He’s faithful to his calling as a man who both reveres life and who’s committed to saving lives. He’s chosen to pursue his particular calling when other paths would result in more individual glory and more money. He’s weathered personal tragedies, but rather than descend into bitterness, he’s turned those dark times into a firm resolve to help others. He believes he’s come home and is determined to use his gifts and talents to make his corner of the world a better place.

God is the role model for heros everywhere. He is patient, perfect, giving, forgiving and flawlessly faithful. Isaiah 25:1: O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

Believing in heros,

Joy