This post is inspired by An Ignatian Prayer Adventure.
My father was my first hero, strong and powerful; he seemed invincible, and I worshipped him as a little boy. Then there was Robin Hood, who stole for the poor, Wonder Woman, the compassionate truth-seeker, and Aragorn, the king in waiting in The Lord of the Rings. What was attractive was the strong, silent type. They were people for others, who put others’ needs first. I wanted to be like these inspiring characters and desired to imitate them in my life and follow their paths.
There’s something about our inner desires that catches fire when we see them lived out in a person, whether mythical or real. Such heroes are attractive because they resonate with something within us that yearns for expression. They communicate values or characteristics that often reflect a moral code or lifestyle that embodies the Christian message. While we can admire and adore someone from afar, the real invitation is turning admiration into a desire to imitate or follow.
After I worked my way through a variety of mythical and human heroes, the person of Jesus became enormously attractive to me in my 20s. There are so many popular images of him and layers of devotion that it is only in the Gospels that we get to see the real person with his humanity at the fore. I remember reading Mark’s Gospel and meeting a person who was continually on the move, a real pilgrim, oscillating between praying alone on the mountain and getting involved in healing people. Jesus was authentic and consistent, which got him into increasing levels of trouble, culminating in his trial and death on a cross. There, he is even more impressive, as we meet a lonely, largely silent figure of suffering commitment in a sea of politics and intrigue, finally vindicated in the Resurrection.
Having experienced some of his overwhelming mercy, especially in his Prodigal Parent parable, I found myself wanting to know more about Jesus, live closer to him, and follow him as much as I could as a Jesuit novice. A key part of Jesuit formation was developing a personal relationship with Jesus, a friendship that involved getting to know him, seeing where he lived, and imitating his radical “bring present to people” approach. Particularly through the use of imaginative contemplation, I could see him live, move, and breathe, and I could engage directly with him. These two-way conversations were to serve me well, especially in times of trouble or when making important decisions.
Jesus has been a friend for the journey, a fellow pilgrim with me on the road, helping me to be free of baggage. He is a constant companion, always there at my side, encouraging, challenging, loving, and forgiving. Somebody to turn to in the dark valleys of life, the tough transitions, and the long slogs, Jesus is already at work in our lives, in our being, and in our reality.
The challenge is to remember to tune into that inner voice, that “gentle breeze” of which Elijah speaks. Especially through awareness and reflection, we need to be able to respond well to where Jesus calls us in the world, in the suffering faces, pleas for help, and calls for compassion. In all of this, the person of Jesus Christ is the model and inspiration, teaching us the meaning of a radical love of others.
Who are your heroes? Who is Jesus to you? What do you value?
