Every year I receive requests to republish this, so here it is (updated for 2020):
This January 15th would have been Martin Luther King’s 91st birthday. His life made such an impact on our nation, it’s sometimes difficult to remember he was only 39 when he was assassinated.
For many people, Dr. King is a hero. Certainly he is a hero to me. As I thought about that today, I found myself asking, what does it mean to be a hero? That led me to some questions.
Is a hero someone of mythic proportion, more nearly perfect than the rest of us?
Certainly King was not a perfect human being. According to all accounts, he loved his wife, but he was not a faithful husband. People who knew him well have talked about times he was angry and depressed, times he swore, and took a drink or two.
He was simply a man who listened to his inner guidance, and rose to meet the call he heard.
Is a hero apparent from an early age? Does he understand the impact he will make in the world?
As I read about King, I sense that he went through a process of gradually identifying his role in life. When he was a very young man, he just wanted to be a minister, like his father. Like all Black people living in the South in the 1950s and 60s, he chafed under the injustice of segregation. He spoke well, and people rallied behind him. When he was asked to come and talk at a church, or lead a demonstration, he stepped up to help. Only over time did he come to understand and accept that he was the person who would stand in the forefront and lead the Civil Rights Movement.
What motivates a hero? What keeps him going in the face of extreme difficulty, ridicule, contempt, and even mortal danger?
King wasn’t a man who sought fame, although he recognized its value to the cause. He wasn’t a zealot. While he believed in the ultimate success of the movement, he was often disappointed and disillusioned.
He was a husband and a devoted father, and his work kept him on the road away from his family. He was often exhausted and lonely. His house was firebombed. Ultimately, his wife was widowed and his children left fatherless. He didn’t want those things to happen, but he accepted the necessity of sacrifice. As time went on, he began sharing with a few close friends that he had made peace with the idea of an early death.
The night before he was shot, he spoke at a rally in Memphis. He said, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.”
Certainly his story is filled with drama. But I also believe he was filled with hope for the future of his people, excitement about the changes to come, and joy in the process. He was fired with enthusiasm, and he truly loved what he was doing. He was living a life filled with meaning.
Dr. King was a hero on a broad scale. His actions and his courage transformed the United States, and the lives of millions of people. He gave his own life in service to the cause in which he believed.
Most of us will never be a hero written about in the history books. Most of us will never even run into a burning building and rescue a child. But many people are living heroic lives, and many more aspire to heroism. Here are the lessons I take from the life of Martin King:
A hero is an ordinary human being who opens him or herself to the idea of being extraordinary.
A hero wants a life filled with meaning, and he listens for his inner guidance. When he hears it, he responds by taking action.
A hero holds a vision for what he wants. Then he lives in the moment, enjoying the fun and accepting the pain of any given moment.
A hero honors him or herself, and honors every other human being.
A hero cherishes life, but there are people and things for which he would sacrifice his life.
A hero understands that she is connected to every other person on earth, but she acts independent of the approval of others.
A mother who gets up in the night to soothe a crying baby is a hero. A tired dad who makes time to take his son or daughter to a ball game is a hero. A man or woman who goes to work every day to bring home a paycheck is a hero.
A soldier or sailor or airman or marine, a police officer, or a fire fighter who puts himself in harm’s way to protect others is a hero.
A store clerk who treats her customer with respect, or a teacher who encourages a student, is a hero.
A man who survives a stroke and faces the challenges of each day with courage is a hero.
A woman who fights cancer, determined to live to see her grandchildren grow up, is a hero.
Today I invite you to think about what provides meaning in your life. Is it your family? Your work? Your art? Your community?
Do you have a vision for your life, and are you living that vision? Are you a hero to yourself, and to the people you love?