Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

We Can Be Heroes
by Tom Goodman
August 8, 2012

I caught myself glancing at the exits while watching The Dark Knight Rises last weekend. I know I'm not the only one to watch that film now and wonder what it was like to have a gunman burst in on the midnight opening in Aurora back on July 20.

And I know I'm not the only male to wonder if I would have responded competently and courageously for the sake of others.

The New York Post reported on three men who died while protecting their girlfriends. Matt McQuinn was killed shielding Samantha Yowler. Alex Teves used his body to cover girlfriend Amanda Lindgren. Jonathan Blunk drew on his military experience when he threw his date, Jansen Young, to the floor, shouting, "Stay down!" as he pushed her under the seat. "I guess I didn't really know he had passed until I started shaking him and saying, 'Jon, we have to go,'" she said. "He took a bullet for me."

Hanna Rosen for Slate said that such an instinct to be the protector is fundamental to a man. She writes that though this long American recession has taken its toll on men, that guardian impulse still remains:

Throwing your body in front of your girlfriend when people all around you are getting shot is an instinct that's basic.... It's the same reason these Batman and Spider-Man franchises endure: Because whatever else is fading away, women still seem to want their superhero, and men still seem to want to be him.

I think that instinct is what Paul was tapping into when he wrote, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). As we daily sacrifice self-interest in service to our families, it's simply a small imitation of Christ who "gave himself up" on a cross to meet our greatest need of salvation. Like him, then, from housekeeping to budgeting to childcare to decision-making to romance, a husband has to keep in mind the interests of his family and not just himself.

Such mundane things seem far removed from the heroic actions in Aurora -- or Christ's heroic action on a cross. But Paul says the instinct behind them all is the same: There's honor in serving others at cost to yourself.

So, guys, how will you lay down your life for your bride today?

--Tom

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Winning Ways - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas	Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
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We Can Be Heroes by Tom Goodman August 8, 2012 I caught myself glancing at the exits while watching The Dark Knight Rises last weekend. I know I'm not the only one to watch that film now and wonder what it was like to have a gunman burst in on the midnight opening in Aurora back on July 20. And I know I'm not the only male to wonder if I would have responded competently and courageously for the sake of others. The New York Post reported on three men who died while protecting their girlfriends. Matt McQuinn was killed shielding Samantha Yowler. Alex Teves used his body to cover girlfriend Amanda Lindgren. Jonathan Blunk drew on his military experience when he threw his date, Jansen Young, to the floor, shouting, "Stay down!" as he pushed her under the seat. "I guess I didn't really know he had passed until I started shaking him and saying, 'Jon, we have to go,'" she said. "He took a bullet for me." Hanna Rosen for Slate said that such an instinct to be the protector is fundamental to a man. She writes that though this long American recession has taken its toll on men, that guardian impulse still remains: Throwing your body in front of your girlfriend when people all around you are getting shot is an instinct that's basic.... It's the same reason these Batman and Spider-Man franchises endure: Because whatever else is fading away, women still seem to want their superhero, and men still seem to want to be him. I think that instinct is what Paul was tapping into when he wrote, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). As we daily sacrifice self-interest in service to our families, it's simply a small imitation of Christ who "gave himself up" on a cross to meet our greatest need of salvation. Like him, then, from housekeeping to budgeting to childcare to decision-making to romance, a husband has to keep in mind the interests of his family and not just himself. Such mundane things seem far removed from the heroic actions in Aurora -- or Christ's heroic action on a cross. But Paul says the instinct behind them all is the same: There's honor in serving others at cost to yourself. So, guys, how will you lay down your life for your bride today? --Tom Beacon Articles Available Online: The staff newsletters that appear each week in the Beacon are also available on our website. You can find them here. Check out my weblog here. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.