Are heroes really needed? So much so, that sometimes they’re contrived. America had a desperate need for a hero during the tragic Iraq war. In response to that need we find America‘s proud military stooping to Reality TV tactics by manufacturing an epic story around 19 yr. old Private Jessica Lynch.
At the time, President George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq was experiencing talk of being bogged down, with victory taking way too long. The administration desperately needed some good news. That’s when America’s first female prisoner of war came on the scene. The Guardian’s John Kampfner discovered the real story behind a modern American war myth.
“Jessica Lynch became an icon of the war. An all-American heroine, the story of her capture by the Iraqis and her rescue by US special forces became one of the great patriotic moments of the conflict.”
Unfortunately, “Her rescue will go down as one of the most stunning pieces of news management yet conceived. It provides a remarkable insight into the real influence of Hollywood producers on the Pentagon’s media managers, and has produced a template from which America hopes to present its future wars.”
This was the situation; Private Lynch and crew took a wrong turn near Nassiriya and were ambushed. It was reported in the Washington Post that during the ambush she fought fiercely and killed many Iraqis even after she was shot and stabbed. Nine of her fellow soldiers were killed and she was taken to a hospital supposedly swarming with Fedayeen. A five-minute film was released to all of the networks claiming that Lynch had stab and bullet wounds, and she was slapped around while being interrogated lying in her hospital bed . According to the news release, the following transpires next.
“Just after midnight, Army Rangers and Navy Seals stormed the Nassiriya hospital. Their “daring” assault on enemy territory was captured by the military’s night-vision camera. They were said to have come under fire, but they made it to Lynch and whisked her away by helicopter”. Wow, great hero and rescue story!
AN AMERICAN HERO?
“As for Lynch, her status as cult hero [at the time] is stronger than ever. Internet auction sites have listed at least 10 Jessica Lynch items, ranging from an oil painting with an opening bid of $200 to a $5 “America Loves Jessica Lynch” fridge magnet. Trouble is that doctors now say she has no recollection of the whole episode and probably never will. Her memory loss means that “researchers” have been called in to fill in the gaps.”
THE REAL STORY
“We gave her three bottles of blood, two of them from the medical staff because there was no blood at this time.” said Dr Harith al-Houssona, who looked after her throughout her ordeal. “I examined her, I saw she had a broken arm, a broken thigh and a dislocated ankle. Then I did another examination. There was no [sign of] shooting, no bullet inside her body, no stab wound – only RTA, road traffic accident,” he recalled. “They want to distort the picture. I don’t know why they think there is some benefit in saying she has a bullet injury.”
“The doctors told us that the day before the Special Forces swooped on the hospital the Iraqi military had fled. Hassam Hamoud, a waiter at a local restaurant, said he saw the American advance party land in the town. He said the team’s Arabic interpreter asked him where the hospital was. “He asked: ‘Are there any Fedayeen over there?’ and I said, ‘No’.” All the same, the next day “America’s finest warriors” descended on the building.”
“We heard the noise of helicopters,” says Dr Anmar Uday. He says that they must have known there would be no resistance. “We were surprised. Why do this? There was no military; there were no soldiers in the hospital.
“It was like a Hollywood film. They cried, ‘Go, go, go’, with guns and blanks and the sound of explosions. They made a show – an action movie like Sylvester Stallone or Jackie Chan, with jumping and shouting, breaking down doors.” All the time with the camera rolling. The Americans took no chances, restraining doctors and a patient who was handcuffed to a bed frame.”
What Jessica told CNN—”Stories of “a little girl ‘Rambo’ from the hills of West Virginia who went down fighting,” she testified, were not true. “I’m still confused as to why they chose to lie and try to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were legendary.”
Jessica, a woman of honor, says to this day that her gun jammed, which stopped her from getting off any rounds right before she was knocked unconscious. She did suffer some crippling injuries that have required over 20 surgeries, but no bullet or stab wounds were found.
There are all kinds of heroes, but the manufactured ones, like the one they tried to make out of Pvt. Lynch, are the least desirable.
Jessica was one type of hero—the gone Hollywood type, but there are many kinds of heroes that we have all grown up with. It’s impossible to write about all of them, especially the real ones we’ve been blessed with—firemen, teachers, to soldiers and great leaders, all are truly underappreciated, nevertheless, in this article I intend to focus on some hero types, and their impact upon our society.
UP, UP AND AWAY
Comic book superheroes are hot in our society. I rate them a step up from fabricated ones, at least there’s no deception involved. You know from jump they aren’t real, but I got to ask, what is this fascination with comic book superheroes?
Anybody who keeps track of movies can’t help but see how Marvel and DC comics are cashing in on billions via their superhero conveyor belt. At the time of this writing “Captain America Civil War” is next on Marvel’s agenda (on a side note, they changed his name to just “Captain” for those of you who live in China and Russia). Anyhow, even the last two movies I went to were superhero movies: Avengers and Fantastic Four. Yes, I use to read all those comic books when I was a kid, so I just had to go see the movies. There was something about comic books that was so engrossing and magical. Nothing could distract me from reading them or looking at the cool artwork. I couldn’t get enough of Spiderman and his trials and tribulations dealing with Mary Jane and public perception. I was amazed at the Hulk, and how when he came under attack, he actually grew stronger AND bigger. I tried to figure out who could run faster, Superman or Flash (it was a photo finish tie). I loved the team work of the Fantastic Four, and when the Thing said, “It’s Clobberin’ Time!!” I knew some villain was going to wish they stayed in comic book bed that comic book morning. I guess you can tell that I have read a lot of superhero comic books, but what the heck was so mesmerizing about them? Me and a friend who use to come over and read them with me when we were kids was talking about that one day, he pointed out that there was something about them that kind of resonates with people spiritually. More on that later.
ENTERTAINERS AS HEROES
Entertainers such as actors, musicians and athletes have tremendous influence over our society. They’re definitely a step up from comic book heroes. There isn’t a day where trivia about their lives has the same weight in the national psyche as the news of global wars and the upheaval of entire nations. Through the power of global television and movies, actors, musician/singers, and athletes are exalted to such a high place, that millions of people know their names the world over. The scripture, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36 (ESV), takes on more and more meaning in these last days.
It truly is amazing when someone is televised or put on the big screen, they are automatically elevated in the audience’s eyes whether the audience is conscience of it or not. Behind the scenes these entertainers receive technological help as well that adds to their heroic mystique.
PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN
According to the website “Amazing Discoveries”, 96 percent of American homes have at least one television set. While watching these sets all kinds of programs come through, but one thing that I never understood is its ability to mildly hypnotize you. Check out this hypnotic scenario—a flickering light (your TV set) as a single-minded focus—a darkened room—no outside diversions—unfortunately, your living room can become the perfect environment for you to be hypnotized in. The site “Psych Mechanics” talks about the flicker-induced hypnotic state that TV viewing slides you into:
“Your mind slips into the hypnotic trance state within seconds of watching TV. This lowers your brainwaves to a lower ‘alpha state’ commonly associated with meditation and deep relaxation. This is believed to be caused by the screen flicker and explains why you feel sleepy while watching TV.
Under this state of trance, your subconscious mind becomes highly suggestible and whatever information you receive from the TV becomes part of your memory pool. Since beliefs are nothing but memories, this information has the tendency to alter your beliefs or form new ones when it seeps into your subconscious mind. You might think the remote is in your hand and you’re watching the programs but in truth you are the one who is getting programmed.”
Scary stuff!
Although thousands of studies have been done on the effects of television on our brains, the results have been hidden (seems like it anyway) from the general public. Television isn’t going to tell on itself, sadly, the money that’s involved is way more important than our well-being, nevertheless, the truth is out there and it’s overwhelming. The following exposition is disturbing on how TV has rewired the minds of past and present generations.
“Our sensitivity to stimuli reduces yearly by about 1%. The finer stimuli are filtered out of our consciousness, leaving more space for the coarser, stronger sensations. In fact, some psychologists believe that with each generation, we are losing the ability to process and accept more sensitive stimuli.
The Committee of Rational Psychology (CRP) conducted a study that found that adults who were shown violent videos of people reacted sympathetically and disgustedly. Most of them refused to even watch it through to the end. But the same reaction was not found in the younger generation.
Youth watched emotionless, more interested in drama and excitement. These young people would switch the movie off because they were bored, not because they were disgusted.
The CRP discovered a type of generation gap between the groups, which they defined as the “old” and “new” brain. Whoever was born before 1949 still had the “old brain.” Whoever was born between 1949 and 1969 had a modified version of the “old brain.” Only those who were born after 1969 possessed the “new brain.”
The “new brain” can, unlike the “old” one, react in a state of dissonance-readiness. Dissonance refers to a disturbance in a normally harmonious process. “The youth,” says Henner Ertel, “have grown up with contradictions and can handle them.” In the past, we would call this ability multiple-consciousness. Today it is considered normal.
The bottom line; everyone’s conscience is being seared by this stuff.
In the light of TV being consumed by us while unknowingly affecting our subconscious, it’s not surprising that people on TV have become larger than life, with a kind of aura around them.
Two individuals that have experienced the power of TV, and seemed quite heroic in their respective fields, have been exposed as being very different then their TV personas. Bill Cosby, who at one time was considered America’s dad, now faces the charges of being a serial rapist by over 50 women. Jared Fogle, the loveable weight loss spokesman for Subway sandwiches is facing jail time for being a secret insatiable pedophile. Most people that have watched these men under the spell of TV would never imagine these two being this far gone. The contrast of their TV personalities and their accused morally bankrupt behavior is vast. As the scripture says:
…let God be found true, though every man be found a liar…
Romans 3:4 (NASB)
So far we have covered a made up hero, superheroes, and entertainers as heroes. It’s time to look at a true hero that lived through a situation that could have been a plot for the latest James Bond movie. This is no movie; the following really happened.
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Most hero movies typically have a plot that puts the whole world in danger of being destroyed, but has there been a time in history when a couple of real heroes were actually used to stop the total destruction of the earth? President Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy come to mind. During the Cuban missile crisis, which was the closest we ever came to an all out nuclear exchange with Russia, the Kennedys were used mightily to stop the total annihilation of the world.
“Modern day historians note that the standoff nearly turned into a global calamity. With bombers in the air and nearly 3000 American nuclear weapons alone in a state of readiness, the Cuban Missile Crisis could have led to the end of the world in mere minutes.” THE WEEK
“Had the United States launched an air strike and invaded Cuba, the Soviet commander on the scene would almost certainly have responded with about 100 tactical nuclear weapons under his control – tactical nuclear weapons JFK did not even know were on the island. The US would have felt compelled to respond in kind triggering an escalation to nuclear Armageddon. As RFK later recalled, the Executive Committee of the National Security Council advising JFK during the crisis was full of “bright, able dedicated people, all of whom had the greatest affection for the US, [but] if any of the six had been President—the world might have been blown up.
Instead of the air strike, JFK initially chose to impose a naval blockade on further arms shipments to Cuba.” Christian Science Monitor
Thank God for President Kennedy, and all those involved that helped stop a devastating nuclear exchange.
CHURCH HEROES(Must be kept in perspective)
From the painful prostitution scandal that tarnished Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, to the devastating fall of Pastor Ted Haggard who got involved with a male prostitute while doing crystal meth, Christian history is littered with many fallen heroes. Devastating hurt and disappointment have followed these men—men that people had put too high up on a Christian pedestal. The bible does say to give honor where honor is due, but should these men of God receive glory, praise, and exaltation above the King of Kings? God Forbid! No, and again I say no. Jesus alone is worthy! Take that imperfect man or woman off the pedestal of your heart and replace him/her with the perfect Jesus! If a man or woman of God is haughty, high and mighty, above reproach, not being careful to give God the praise, I say run! How can anyone receive God’s glory when it is God that gives the next beat of our hearts, our next breath. He alone is the Creator and Sustainer of all life!
I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Isaiah 42:8 (ESV)
A NEW TYPE OF MAN
I promised earlier to return to the superhero theme. So, are there any real Superheroes out there? I don’t want to use the term superheroes to refer to these people. They are nothing like the imaginary superheroes in the comics and movies, but they are a new type of man. I rate these heroes as gifts to all of us, and I challenge every believer to become one too!
The greatest mystery
26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:26-27(ESV)
The God of the universe not only decided to enable fallen man to be forgiven and grafted into His wondrous family and kingdom, but He decided to enable him to be vessels of His indescribable power—to be living temples filled with a measure of His precious Holy Spirit.
Man knows that in and of himself, he is powerless. One only needs to live long enough to see that we are fragile and dependant creatures. An invisible microscopic germ can easily turn our world upside down, even onto death. Our clear weaknesses point to why superheroes are so dependant on a source outside of themselves. The Hulk was affected by gamma rays; Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider, the alien called Superman, is empowered by being in a foreign solar system, etc. Comic book superheroes resonate with us because the underlying concept is based on the “real“–a supernatural reality—the fact that believers in Jesus are inwardly empowered by a source not originating with them—called the Holy Ghost. By His holy power, men and women are able to transcend the natural laws of this world.
One man kills 1000
And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. Judges 15:15 (ESV)
Day supernaturally extended (we know that the earth revolves around the sun, but this account is written from their viewpoint)
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. Joshua 10:12-14 (ESV)
Miraculous healing
2And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. Acts 3:2-8 (ESV)
Shadow of anointed Saint heals many
14And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, 15to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. Acts 5:15-16 (ESV)
These scriptures are a tiny example of the incredible things men/women did through the power of the Holy Spirit. Who made all of this possible? —Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God.
SAVED FROM WHAT?
Is death the worst thing that can happen to a nation or individual?
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt 10:28(ESV)
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (ESV)
The bible makes it clear that death is NOT the worst thing that can happen to us. The worst thing that can happen to us is for our souls to be destroyed in the lake of fire.
Kennedy helped save the world from nuclear destruction but there is only one who can save us from being judged, rightfully condemned, and thrown into God’s garbage disposal—He’s JESUS, THE GREATEST HERO OF ALL!
8But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. 9″YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.” 10And, “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; Hebrews 1:8-10 (NASB)
8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11(NASB)
He is our Redeemer, our Deliverer, our Glorious King, our Redemption, our Advocate, the Captain of our Salvation, our Bright and Morning Star, Our Savior!
There are a lot of flawed heroes out there that do their best to save some. There is only one perfect Savior who saved ALL who believe; He is the very essence of the word “save”; Jesus, the Lord and Savior of all mankind.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV)