Throughout human history mankind has either produced or imagined heroic men (and sometimes women) who fought not for themselves, but for their people. St. George killed the dragon, Joan of Arc held back the English, Davy Crockett opened the frontier. Sometimes these heroes were real, sometimes fictitious. Sometimes they were local, sometimes they took on epic proportions. America now needs such a hero — we demonstrated that in this last election.
America has learned a difficult lesson — we’ve lived through four years of leaderless abandonment. Like a lost dog America has stumbled into fights, gone hungry from time to time, and felt ashamed of our national existence. We’ve watched the American Dream fade. How did we end up here? What’s more important — how do we find our way home?
We do this with leadership. Just as a dog needs a master to train and guide and care for it, a nation needs a leader — not just a person in a position of power (though that is important), but a special person, a one-in-a-million person with a rare combination of attributes. How do we know this person when he (or she) turns up?
We can look back at history and at literature to start a list. Since we’re talking about nations, let’s focus on the larger-than-life men who met the challenges of their predicaments and won the day — the epic heroes. It makes little difference whether the hero is historic or fictional — their characteristics are the same. What did these characters have in common?
Epic heroes are always superhumanly strong and brave; I think of Beowulf who, despite the failure of twelve years of the Spear Danes efforts to stop Grendel’s attacks on Hrothgar’s kingdom, killed him bare-handed. Then he killed Grendel’s mother — a formidable monster in her own right, and this feat required him to be under water for a whole day; his followers were giving him up for dead. Grendel’s mother, like many monsters, was a swamp creature, but our hero did her in. Wow. Then, as an old man, he goes after the fire dragon, accompanied by only one stalwart knight. An epic hero is willing and able to fight superhuman monsters with supernatural powers and to do it alone, and die, if need be.
Besides being strong and brave, an epic hero must be a skilled negotiator, aware of protocols, capable of wearing a tux. He is able to talk with kings and handle himself, and his men, in royal courts. In short, he must be part of, or at least comfortable with, the aristocracy. He must be intelligent, educated, well-bred, and have a position of power. (Beowulf was the nephew of Hygelac, the king of the Geats, an historical figure, who died in battle in 521 A.D. So, was Beowulf real? The timing is right. He’s real enough to inspire us.)
The epic hero must also be a leader of men. Not a controller of men, but an inspiring person, a leader who goes to battle with the men he leads. George Washington at Valley Forge, freezing along with his troops. King Arthur and the knights of his Round Table. King David and his loyal followers. Jesus Christ and His disciples.
https://pacificbible.edu in southern Oregon. She teaches writing, logic, and literature. She can be contacted at 1window45@gmail.com
Image: AT via Magic Studio
Jesus Christ is King
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