Where have all the heroes gone?  What happened to the Washingtons, the Gandhis, the Churchills and the Mandelas?  Where are the men of integrity, vision and principle who operate with vision, drive and initiative, and whose achievements are plain to see, beneficial, and far-reaching?  Some people talk about the death of God, but what about the death of heroes?

First, we live in a cynical age that respects nothing and reveres nobody.

Second, we see fewer heroes for the simple reason that there aren’t as many around.  We have traded heroes for celebrities and, as everybody knows, celebrities are just people who are famous for being well known.  They haven’t achieved anything of profound significance – they were just around when the lights came on and the cameras started to roll.

Thirdly, we are lacking in heroes because we have lost sight of God as an active participant in human lives.  So we lack the ability to see God calling men to live for him and his cause, which transcends anything humans can truly envisage.

“Look, a righteous King is coming! And honest princes will rule under him…

In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Wealthy cheaters will not be respected as outstanding citizens. Everyone will recognise ungodly fools for what they are.”

Isaiah 32 : 1, 5-6 [NIV]

In Isaiah’s time it wasn’t so much that they lacked heroes.  It was a matter of people regarding “ungodly fools” as heroes.  Today’s celebrities are, in many cases, such incredibly ungodly fools.

The day will finally come when the Righteous King arrives to establish his Kingdom. In the meantime, God’s people need to recognise that any “fool” can become a hero, but in God’s economy a real hero is no fool.