We imagine our heroes as handsome, muscular, brilliant, even larger than life! But when real heroes come along few if any match our expectations. In fact, some of us might have actually belittled them in the past. Upon seeing real heroes, we instantly recognize that their one common quality is not anything physical, but something we call character!

On September 11, 1999, superintendent of construction Pablo Ortiz searched for survivors on the eighty-eighth floor of the north World Trade Tower; shouting into all areas for anyone present. After directing rescued groups to safe passage down a clear stair well, he ascended to the next floor, intending to locate all survivors. He was still going up as the tower came down. I never knew Mr. Ortiz. His name indicates that his family origins were possibly Hispanic. If so, some in the states bordering Mexico might call him a derogatory word for Hispanic. I call him a hero.

That same day, passengers aboard flight 93 prevented their hijackers from crashing that plane into another American landmark. One leader in this effort was an admitted homosexual. Some might call him a derogatory term for homosexuals. I call him a hero.

A Native American named Ira Hayes helped raise the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima during World War II. He became an alcoholic and died in a ditch. Some might call him a drunken Indian. I call him a hero.

As with our heroes, humans also look to the physical aspects when selecting leaders. There's an excellent comparison between the leadership qualities valued by men versus those valued by God in the scriptures. In I Samuel chapter 16 of The Holy Bible, God instructs Samuel to choose a King of Israel from the sons of Jesse. Samuel is to review Jesse's sons, and God will tell him which one is to be anointed king.

The first to be reviewed was Eliab, who was tall and impressive. He looked like a King! But the Lord did not choose him. Jesse continued to parade nine more of his sons past Samuel, but God chose none of them. Samuel asked if there were any others. Only the youngest remained. Jesse had not even considered him as a possibility, so he was still out in the pasture tending sheep. Samuel requested that the youngster be fetched from his work. Although the youngest son was not attractive or kingly to look at, the Lord told Samuel, "Arise, anoint him: for this is he." So the son of Jesse that was thought unworthy of even consideration, became one of the greatest Kings of Israel. The Jews still call Jerusalem the City of David!

With our technology and sophistication of today, would we have chosen David as the first choice? Absolutely not! We almost always consider physical appearance before considering character. Take me for example. Being born white and raised in the South, I was taught that Martin Luther King Jr. was an outside agitator, at best. Sadly, I believed what I was taught. Then I read his "I Have A Dream" speech. I was wrong! Dr. King was a very brave hero fighting for a just cause.

Consider this sentence from Dr. King's speech, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Did someone know that men judge others by physical appearance over character three thousand years ago? "For man looketh on the outward appearance (skin, etc), but the Lord looketk on the heart (character, integrity, etc). I Samuel 16:7.

Character is knowing the right thing to do, then doing it when the opportunity presents itself, regardless of the consequences. Consider the single parent, who must care for the children and toil for a living seven days a week with little or no help and encouragement. It would be very easy and tempting to momentarily escape just for a minute into that bottle of booze, or that pill, or that illegal drug. But some resist the temptation, knowing it would drag them and the family down. That takes character!

Consider the millions in our nation's military. Many may have originally signed up simply for the educational benefits. Now they find themselves in a war! Yet they know and willingly accept their duty even though their lives are placed in jeopardy and they would rather be somewhere else. They are all heroes.   

In fact, war and hardship brings individuals together in a way which tends to build character. I always wondered what would have happened in the Vietnam War if the most racist white soldier in Vietnam lay dying of his wounds on the battlefield. With bullets, rockets, grenades, and mortar shells going off in all directions, a black corpsman leaves the safety of his foxhole and rushes out to help save his fellow comrade in arms. As the corpsman shields the wounded soldier and leans in to save his life, can you imagine the helpless soldier saying with his dying breath, "Stop! I'll wait for a white guy"! Probably not. They have trained together, possibly bled together, seen other black and white comrades die, and experienced other hardships of war together. They have become equal as heroes.

Many thousands of grave markers at Arlington National Cemetery are identical in design. No one can determine the race or other circumstances of the person buried in a particular grave from the headstone. All who reach this point have finally achieved equality. All have served their countrymen honorably and bravely. All are heroes.

Today, our diversity hurts us in our war on terror. Enemies can easily blend in with us because of our diversity. That said, our diversity still remains our greatest strength! Whether black, white, yellow, brown, red, pink, blue; or any possible combination of colors, we are all Americans first. Likewise, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist, or what ever we believe; we are all Americans first. That is our strength and what makes us unique in all the world! We are all equally American, and our future heroes could be any of us!

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