King David is called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).  He is also called “a man of blood” (2 Samuel 16:8).  He stood tall in harm’s way before Goliath, clad only in his faith.  He also used his God-given status as King of Israel to rape Bathsheba and arrange the murder of her husband.

It is no exaggeration to say that David was not just one thing.  He was complicated and even self-contradictory.  David was, in short, a lot like us.

Maybe our great and grand feats are not as notable as David’s and maybe our moral failures are not as stark as his either but if they differ from ours the difference is one of degree and not of kind.

I was raised, like most of my generation, to see heroes in the Bible.  Stories about Samson, and David, Elijah, and Jeremiah were told to us in such a way that we could only see their faithfulness and their courage.  They were agents of God’s own miraculous power as well as exceptional people in their own right.

Setting these figures up on pedestals was a handy way to teach youngsters, but it also had some unintended effects.  Many years later, I struggled mightily as I read Paul’s letters and found myself repeatedly thinking, “Man, this guy was pretty egotistical.”  I didn’t quite know how to deal with his personality quirks in light of his importance as an apostle and as the author of a big chunk of the New Testament. 

None of the heroes of the Bible can serve unambiguously as role models.  We wouldn’t want to be just like them in every way.

Likewise, our secular heroes like the nation’s founders and leaders cannot be safely admired without noting their flaws.  The author of the Declaration of Independence held slaves all his life, even though he admitted that this was contradictory to his own moral ideals.  Some of our favorite artists and performers have acted badly – abusively, even criminally.

What to do?

Well, I suggest that we give up heroes as soon as possible and try to look beyond the marble and bronze figures on statues to see the values and attributes that are praiseworthy in their stories.

We cannot safely idolize anyone, not even the great saints of scripture and the church.  But we can probe their lives and deeds to see the attributes and values that marked their greatness.

We are safer to admire the best qualities of these notables than to hold them up as heroes.  Maybe Paul wasn’t perfect, but he taught us about justification by faith.  Maybe Jefferson doesn’t deserve to be enshrined in a marble temple (as he is in Washington) but the principles he articulated still deserve our reverence today.

What goes for the people in history books and portrayed in statues goes for us too.  When we look at our neighbors and family (and ourselves in the mirror) we don’t see perfection.  But if you look for it, you will see attitudes and actions that deserve your admiration and imitation.

Prayer: Father of mercy, help me see more clearly the people in my life.  I ask especially that I might see what is noble, and kind, and good in them.  And Lord, let me become what I behold.  Amen.