Built to Be Heroic

There were two shootings in a recent weekend - one in Buffalo, the other in Southern California, and we certainly can and should mourn the loss of life and the motivation of each shooter.  Each was apparently driven by a hatred of people of a different ethnicity than their own. And, in each instance, a hero emerged to help save lives, heroes who lost their lives for the sake of others.

Because we know Christ, who gave himself so that we might come to know God, we have that capability to be...well, heroic. Think about what the Bible says in Philippians 2:
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

That describes the mind of a hero - and we have to be on alert: there may be needs around us that we can address in the Lord.  We can be ready to sacrifice for other people as we take our eyes off ourselves and see where there is a need that can be met by the love of Christ flowing through us.  We can open our eyes and our hearts so that God can use us to demonstrate His love. We can humble ourselves before God so that His power can be displayed through us. 

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It is important to honor those who have acted in a heroic way, and during this week following Memorial Day, we can take a moment to reflect on what it takes to truly lay down our lives. Romans 15 reminds us:
1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."

Jesus told His disciples in Mark chapter 10 that He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. In that spirit of self-sacrifice, I want to focus on two individuals that paid the ultimate price in two tragic situations recently.  I haven't seen much written about their faith perspective, but they way they lived in a moment where people were facing death around them speaks volumes.

WGRZ Television reported days after the shooting at a Buffalo grocery store, where 10 people lost their lives and several others were injured:

One of the first victims from the mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo on Saturday to be publicly identified, was Aaron Salter Jr.

He was a retired Buffalo Police Officer who worked at the store as an armed security guard.

He is also being hailed as a hero, who died while trying to save others.

The story quotes Scott Escobar, a retired Buffalo Police Officer. He was a colleague of Salter at the BPD Traffic Division.  The article relates:

Escobar noted that Salter, as a police officer for 30 years before his retirement in 2022, spent his career trying to protect others.

So it came as no shock to him that Salter spent his last moments on earth doing the same thing.

"Aaron was a great individual and I know in his heart he wanted to save as many people as he could and it didn't surprise me to hear he engaged the guy right away and tried to stop him...he was the kind of guy that would lay down his life like that and protect his community," Escobar said.

Near Los Angeles, another hero emerged in the church shooting there, which took the life of one and injured others. KTLA Television reported:

One churchgoer, 52-year-old Dr. John Cheng, charged at the gunman, tackled him and tried to disarm him, according to the sheriff.

This allowed other parishioners to intercede, subdue the attacker and save lives, Barnes said.

That is a reference to Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. The story goes on to say:

During the struggle, a pastor threw a chair at the suspect and the churchgoers hogtied him with an extension cord until deputies were able to force entry into the church and take him into custody, authorities said.

Cheng, who was at the banquet with his mother, was shot and killed while tackling the gunman.

“He took it upon himself to charge across the room and to do everything he could to disable the assailant… He sacrificed himself so that others could live,” O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

The sheriff said there would have been many more victims if it weren’t for Cheng’s actions.

“Dr. Cheng is a hero,” the sheriff said.

Two men, thousands of miles apart, the same weekend - viewing the preservation of their own lives as less important than the lives of others.  That is a key characteristic of someone who can be considered a hero.  It is a walk to which God has called us, and the capacity to walk in it is resident in the heart of every believer.  The Savior lives in us, the One who gave His life so that we might truly live - and He calls us to take our eyes off ourselves and place them on Him and those whom we have been called to serve.

Who have we been called to serve? That is reminiscent of the question that was asked of Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered by sharing the parable of the Good Samaritan, which illustrated the actions of a man who had been attacked and left to die. Two people walked by, and a third stopped. In Luke 10, where we find the parable, we can read these words:
36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"
37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

We are called to show mercy - Jesus teaches us to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful.  Thankfully, He demonstrated mercy toward us, and we can develop a sensitivity to those around us.  We may not find ourselves in a life-threatening situation, but we can be providers of hope and demonstrate to people how they can truly live - through Christ.