Looking for Heroes

“Here's to the bridge-builders, the hand-holders, the light-bringers, those extraordinary souls wrapped in ordinary lives who quietly weave threads of humanity into an inhumane world. They are the unsung heroes in a world at war with itself. They are the whisperers of hope that peace is possible. Look for them in this present darkness. Light your candle with their flame. And then go. Build bridges. Hold hands. Bring light to a dark and desperate world. Be the hero you are looking for. Peace is possible. It begins with us.”

L.R. Knost

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I am looking for a few heroes

Young or old

Male or female

Cis or not

Black, or White, or Brown, or……

well it really doesn’t matter

so much time and energy is spent on the villains today,

and rightly so, for they are many and dangerous, and destructive

but I am looking for heroes

for people who

are kind

who see others

who respond with compassion

who are generous

there are a few out there

Nelson Mandela

Thich Nhat Hanh

Noam Chomsky

Dalai Lama

Greta Thunberg

Parker Palmer

Brene Brown

Wendell Berry

Barbara Brown Taylor

Rachael Held Evans was a hero

So was Mary Oliver

These are people who care about people

And about the earth

They build up rather than tear down

They are not into power

And we need more like them

There are some not so well known

Closer to home

My sister, Susan Kliewer Duncan, with her gift of hospitality, is one of my heroes

So is Lise Porter, mental health therapist, actor, person of resilience

And Jan and Dan Blair, who tireless love others, even in times of personal distress

There are more

Thank God

But the world could use more

not faux healers

not those who talk and bluster

not those who impose and coerce

not the people of the lie

or the people with power and money

but those people who

are poor in spirit

and mourn

those who are humble,

and work for peace, justice and equity

those who are authentic

and generous

compassionate

and engaged

(if you want my definition of a hero, read the beatitudes, Matthew 5 and Luke 6)

So I’m looking for some heroes

They won’t know who they are,

But I will,

And so will God