Last week, I wrote about feminism, and it got me thinking about some of my heroes. Strong women I look up to, not necessarily for their accomplishments or for their fame, but rather for what they do with it.
People like Katie Davis, a missionary who moved to Uganda by herself at the age of 19, eventually beginning her own ministry/nonprofit and adopting and now currently raising thirteen orphaned Ugandan girls.
People like Malala Yousafazai, a young Pakistani woman my own age, who in 2012 was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for supporting the right to education for women and girls. Malala is now an activist and runs her own organization, as well as becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17 in 2014.
People like Mother Teresa, a trailblazing woman in the missionary field, who devoted her entire life to the Lord and what He asked of her, and to loving and serving the least of these all around the world.
People like Taylor Swift, whom you know for her award-winning and record-breaking music, but a woman I look up to tremendously for her generosity. Taylor is one of the highest paid women and musicians in the world, yet she is also one of the most generous, known for donating thousands of dollars directly to fans, and to countless organizations in need. Keep in mind that this article only scratches the surface.
Everyone loves a hero. But what defines a true hero?
In my book it’s someone who lives their lives for others. Someone who has a platform, but does good with it. Someone who looks at their lives not for what they can get out of the world, but rather what they can do for the world.
Not all of my aforementioned heroes are Christians. Not all of them even believe in or live their lives for the Lord. The fact that I listed a Muslim woman as one of my heroes is probably triggering for a lot of Christians. But these women inspire and motivate me for the kingdom they are bringing to the world, whether they consciously realize it or not. Through her organization and activism, Malala, a Muslim woman, is validating and fighting for the rights of girls across the globe. This sounds an awful lot like a man I know named Jesus. She doesn’t do it in the name of Jesus, but she preaches a kingdom message of loving your neighbor as yourself. Malala could easily use the platform she has been given for a million other things. But she has chosen to live her life for others. And that’s what we’re called to, that’s what we’re here on this earth for. Jesus came to this earth for much, much more than solely salvation.
I’ve never in my life been made more aware of my privilege than these last seven months on the Race. I spent the first few months through Central America and Southeast Asia feeling incredibly guilty for it. I was angry with God and with the world for being so unbelievably unfair that I won the genetic lottery by being born into my middle class family in the US. I have two loving and supportive parents who have given everything for my siblings and I our entire lives, while others I’ve met have no parents at all, or parents who want nothing to do with them. I have a car at home, I have a cell phone and a laptop, I have way too many clothes that I don’t need, and I have always had food on the table and food in the pantry, more than enough to go around.
I was feeling so angry and guilty for my privilege that I stopped being thankful for it. I stopped recognizing that, yes, while it still doesn’t seem fair that I’ve been given the life I have while there are children, men, and women on the streets around the world dying everyday, being angry about it doesn’t make it any less real. For whatever reason I probably won’t ever understand until I can ask Him face to face, the Lord has chosen to bless me with the life, privilege, and opportunities I’ve been given. The absolute least I can do with it is simply be thankful for it. To thank and praise Him everyday for all that I have that I don’t deserve. And now that I’m at the point where I’ve accepted my privilege, I believe it’s my duty to ask both myself and the Lord: what am I going to do with it?
I am certainly not anyone’s hero, and it’s definitely not the point of this post to say that I am. But I’ve learned what I actually have in common with my personal heroes: privilege. It’s so easy to look at someone like Taylor Swift and think ‘well of course she should be giving away her money, she literally has millions of it.’ I don’t personally know a lot of millionaires. But I know a lot of people who live with more than they need. Because we’re selfish Americans (and believe me, I’m including myself in this camp), we prioritize everything in our lives first. Generosity and giving, serving, or doing for others often comes last.
Well if I had a better or more stable job…
If I had more time…
If life wasn’t so crazy right now…
These are thoughts I’ve had myself and excuses I know are so often at the forefront of our minds as Americans. I’m not here to judge or condemn, but I personally believe it’s our duty as those with privilege, whether earned or given, to do something with it to actually impact the world we so love to complain about.
Jesus is the true hero, the only Savior we could ever need. Jesus who came to earth and died for the rest of us, devoting and living his entire life for everyone but himself.
What would it look like to adopt that same hero mindset of living our lives for others?
Wouldn’t that change everything?
