Thursday; June 3

What is the difference between a celebrity and a hero? While there are several differences, one of the most basic is that often celebrities are famous for being famous while heroes receive their tributes for touching lives. Celebrities are often well-known for their accolades while heroes are notable for their accomplishments.
After spending some time thinking about the differences between celebrities and heroes, I came across a guy who spent quite a bit of time writing about them. Daniel Boorstin was a historian back in the 1970s-1980s and had some very astute observations about what made people famous. One of his insights was, “Time makes heroes, but dissolves celebrities.”. When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. Many of yesterday’s celebrities have faded into oblivion while our past heroes continue to live on in our collective memories. Often, circumstances make celebrities, but actions and attitudes of heroism keep going. While this is true in “popular culture”, this is also true in religion. There are a lot of people who have made a name for themselves because of a book or a sermon – or even an act of kindness – but true spiritual heroes are persistent in their cause.

The other day I came across a biblical passage that reminds us, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4). If we want to be a real-life hero it takes a desire to stay strong. Are we willing to make it happen?

Think About It!

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