Why is it that heroes make me cry? I mean…okay…bawl like a baby? I was reading the account of the USAir pilot who safely landed his plane in the Hudson River. The report in USA Today stated that once all the passengers were off the plane, he walked the aisle not once, but TWICE to make sure no one was left behind. Then, when he was certain that all were safely off, he was the last person to leave the aircraft. I sobbed. This guy is a kickin’-it-old-school-John-Wayne-duty-honor-and-others-first kind of guy. Yes folks, they still exist. And they make me cry. The Bible calls them “Mighty Men of Valor.” These are the ferry boat captains that unloaded their paying customers and hauled the NYPD and NYFD out to the crash immediately. These are the Coast Guard guys who took off their coats and sweaters to wrap around soaking wet passengers who trembled from the freezing cold. These are the passengers that let others go first, passed out life vests and prayed. I saw one guy interviewed say, “I asked God to forgive me of my sins and prayed the Lord’s Prayer.” In a day and age when bank executives are greedy and out only for themselves, when CEOs and CIOs are lying under oath and ruining companies for their own gain, in a time where my hometown had a record number of murders in 2008 it is so good to see that the heroic, the honorable and the great still exist in our country. And so I cried. I cried because it reminded me of the Spirit of Christ who sacrificed His life to save us. That was the same spirit, whether he knows it or not, of that pilot who put others first and was willing to risk his life to save his passengers. Wow. Tearing up again just thinking about it.

The Old Testament tells a story of a guy named Eleazer. He was one of David’s Mighty Men of Valor. Eleazer went home for a visit and discovered that the Philistines had been bullying his village for the years he was away at war. Every year, the Philistines would invade the village and steal the barley harvest. Every year they got away with it. Mostly because the villagers were afraid and felt they couldn’t stand up against the might of the Philistines. When Eleazer heard about this, he was outraged. How could his people allow this bullying to happen? Didn’t they know they were God’s chosen? Didn’t they realize that God was with them? Didn’t they understand that the Philistines were bullies, not great men? So, the Philistines came, just like clockwork, and started raiding the barley field. But Eleazer, who had seen God’s mighty hand many times in battle, went out to meet the entire Philistine army…alone. He took up his sword and stood in his bean field and he fought for what was rightfully his. He fought and the dust kicked up and shouts went out and the battle was on and the villagers hid in their homes with fright. But old Eleazer slew those Philistines, “The Israelites withdrew, but he stood his ground. He struck down the Philistines until his arm grew weary, though his hand clung to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day” (2 Samuel 2:9-10). The Philistines high-tailed it out of there and when the dust settled the villagers had to pry that sword out of Eleazer’s hand. I want to be like that. I want to be the last man off the ship; I want to be the kind of person who stands in my bean field and says, “No more! Not this time! I am fighting for what is true. I am fighting for what God has given me…what is rightfully mine!” I feel like that pilot stood for his passengers. He fought with his expertise, selflessness, cool head, and he didn’t lose one single life. It is a beautiful thing to behold. He is a Mighty Man of Valor. And that makes me cry. Peace.