Celebrating the Everyday Heroes Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

by MARK K. SHRIVER

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic redefined our understanding of “essential,” it has also challenged us all to reconsider what it means to be a hero. Tomorrow, as we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—a true American hero—it would be wise for us to examine the very question King himself posed as life’s “most persistent and urgent question . . .‘what are you doing for others?’”

American culture has long been fascinated with heroes like the newly elected political star, the rich and powerful CEO with the private jet, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback, the daring soldier, or the latest Instagram star. From the youngest age, we are trained to see (and try to be) “heroic” in wealth, power, physical greatness, or even media exposure. We are tempted to believe that if we possess these things, we, too, are heroic and can save ourselves, if not others.

But what if we took Webster’s definition of the word hero—“a person admired for achievements and noble qualities… one who shows great courage”—and frame it around King’s urgent question?

Think for a moment about the noble and courageous people in your orbit, those whom you pass by every day. Would that noble and courageous person include the grocery store worker making minimum wage, without health insurance, who clocks in day after day in the middle of a pandemic? What about the teenager who never misses his scheduled after-school basketball game with his Best Buddy, who has a developmental disability? Or the teacher who now essentially produces and stars in an all-day television show (sometimes with an accompanying live audience), trying fervently to reach students so they don’t lose a precious year of education?

Does our culture consider them heroes?

Until recently, I never thought of the volunteer at the food bank as a hero, did you? And I hate to admit that the hospital custodian, disinfecting and sanitizing a building teeming with disease, was not at the top of my hero list either. Was he or she at the top of yours?

Alas, King’s question is not something new. The prophets of old gave us the blueprint for true heroes when they challenged us to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God. They challenged us to feed the hungry, to provide shelter to the homeless, to clothe the naked.

Today’s wise people are no different. Pope Francis recently said, “Loving actions change history: even the ones that are small, hidden, every day. For God guides history through the humble courage of those who pray, love, and forgive. There are so many hidden saints, who are next-door, who with little acts of love, change history.”

Maya Angelou said, “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”

Dr. King’s question, and his very life example, challenge the American definition of success, not to mention our culture’s definition of heroic. As Americans, we are taught to think big, to accumulate money, power, prestige. We are rarely taught that little acts of love change history or that success means simply caring for somebody else.

Dr. King makes me uncomfortable–and so, too, do Maya Angelou and Pope Francis.

But what prophet makes anyone feel comfortable? Not one! In fact, most are killed because they challenge society to its very core. They call us to be better, to get out of our comfort zone, to do our part to bring about a more just world–to do more than tweet our support, put up yard signs, or extend our thoughts and prayers.

Prophets challenge us to give all of our heart, to give all our love, to God and to our neighbor.

As a country, it is time for us to answer King’s question, individually and collectively, and to do so urgently, persistently, and yes, heroically, for others.

This essay was featured in the January 17, 2021 edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper publishes News and Views that Rise Above the Noise and Inspires Hearts and Minds. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.

MARK K. SHRIVER

Mark K. Shriver, the President of Save the Children Action Network, is the New York Times best-selling author of A Good Man and the forthcoming children’s book 10 Hidden Heroes.

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