Heroism: The Ordinary Being Extraordinary

To wrap up the recent series on heroism, I would like to attempt to answer the question: what makes a hero? I've now told five stories that included countless heroes. Everyday people, like you and me, who saved a most precious gift, life. Many were compared to Angels. They were considered a blessing from God. What was so great about their acts that made them Divine?

The first story talked of eight bystanders who saved three children from the icy clutches of a river in Logan, Utah. These were random drivers who came to the aid of a distressed father. They saved the day with their fast action of rescuing the three children, two of whom seemed to have drowned.

The second tale was of many bystanders who rescued a motorcyclist trapped beneath a burning vehicle. The many people who happened to be walking around that road in Logan, Utah, were able to use the strength of numbers to lift the car up while another pulled the trapped boy from beneath the fiery automobile.

The third event was of a teenage girl whose car careened of the Florida interstate and into a canal. People driving by came to her rescue by flipping the car on its side and using a trailer hitch to break open the window and pull the girl to safety.

The fourth tale was of a mother and two children who were imprisoned in a burning car. The neighbors came to their aid by breaking open the windshield and rescuing them all. The two firefighters involved suffered burns to their hands and arms, but they would stop at nothing to save the last boy who was trapped inside.

The fifth tale was the greatest, I think. A man who witnessed a young man falling onto the Subway tracks risked his life by jumping in after him. He used quick thinking to push the young man into the gutter and cover him with his body.

In all the above stories, the bystanders who came to the rescue had no relation to the victims, no desire for recognition, and no super powers. They were everyday folk, like you and me. The only difference is they risked their lives to save another's. That's what makes them heroes. They are ordinary people who did extraordinary acts.