Just Looking

He robbed the rich to give to the poor.  For the good of all men, and the love of one woman, he fought to uphold justice by breaking the law.  Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  Let me guess: Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman and Bryan Adams?  Oh yes.  Robin Hood returns to the big screen this summer with Russell Crowe in the title role and Gladiator supreme Ridley Scott in the director’s chair.  One line reviews such as, “It’s basically Gladiator set in England” have got me hooked.  I can’t wait to see it.

The 1991 edition with Costner and co. may not have been to everyone’s taste (who knew that Robin was actually from California!) but scores of people will undoubtedly be flocking to the cinema to see an Aussie fire arrows at the baddies.  Why?  Because everyone loves a hero.  Bonnie Tyler is still holding out for one that is strong, fast and fresh from the fight.  Her desperation has led her to MasterCard adverts!

But in all seriousness, we love heroes, don’t we?  Heroes bring hope.  They deliver justice.  They remove the bad, restore the good and put everything in its right place.  Cinema screens have been littered with heroes in recent years as a comic book revolution has occurred.  Superman, Batman, Iron Man – they’ve all returned to a fanfare of financial and critical success.

There are heroes from literature such as Peter Pan or Jane Eyre that have captured our imagination whilst historical figures like Winston Churchill or Florence Nightingale also continue to inspire people today.  Washington Irving once declared, “To have no heroes is to have no aspiration, to live on the momentum of the past, to be thrown back upon routine, sensuality, and the narrow self.”

Heroism is captivating.  The idea that one person could step into the breach and solve our problems is dynamic, brave and impetuous.  The recent general election will have undoubtedly been seen by many people in this light.  David Cameron and Nick Clegg were two leading possibilities with Gordon Brown potentially featuring in the ‘redeemed and now reformed’ hero role.

The truth is whoever we choose as our hero will be bombarded with our hopes, dreams and expectations.  Failure to deliver the goods results in disappointment and disillusionment.  With burdens like that, who would want to be a hero?  The fear of failure would be enough to scare off any willing candidate.

To bring hope, stability, freedom and success for all is surely beyond any one of us.  There is one exception but few seem willing to trust Him.  In the Old Testament, through the prophet Jeremiah, God declared, “I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”  Could God supply that which we need?  Check his track record.

His policies never fail.  His word is trustworthy.  His love reaches to the heavens and His faithfulness stretches to the skies.  He is all seeing, all knowing and always present.  He values you more than you value yourself.  In her search for the hero, Bonnie Tyler said, “He’s gotta be sure, he’s gotta be soon and he’s got to be larger than life.”  I think I’ve found Him.

Paul Nixon - Associate Pastor

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