“…Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.” (emphasis mine)

–Winston Churchill

First, the bad news. World figures like Churchill, Gandhi, Roosevelt, King, Reagan, and Thatcher–heroes of the past–are now few and far between.

Today, our earliest national heroes–from the founding of our nation through the Civil War–are vilified and shamed for living in a way that was standard then, but now is considered unenlightened.

Have you ever wondered how our times will be viewed in 100-150 years? How our conduct and the way we treat our fellow man will be judged retrospectively?

The office of the U.S. presidency is still respected. After all, over 155 million popular votes were cast in 2020 to decide who would occupy that office.

But, do we really consider our president a hero today? Does he, or someday she, really even stand a chance to be portrayed as a hero?

Probably not. The partisan media control the narrative. Their goal is to attract viewers. “Feel good” stories from Washington D.C. don’t sell like scandal and conflict do. Very sad, in my opinion.

The popularity of our Congressional members historically trends in the low 20% range. Since January 2021, it has increased to 35%. Free money and an effective vaccine poll well, but 35% is nothing to brag about, is it?

Who do you see and hear from when you tune in to your television news of choice? With some exceptions, it’s the most partisan politicians on the right and the left. The media strike again.

Now, the good news. We still have heroes. They’re all around us, if we stop to think about it. My list, in no particular order, includes:

• Members of the military. These men and women put on the uniform and many lay their lives on the line to protect our freedom.

• Policemen. Like the military, these men and women serve, protect, and defend us. They go to work every day not knowing what they’ll face. And we’ve seen what’s happened in cities where defunding the police has been implemented. Please–enough already.

• Firemen and other first responders. Hard work under difficult and dangerous circumstances, to say the least.

• Teachers. These are the people with whom we entrust the formal education of our children, yet they are overworked and underpaid. Now, not only must they teach, but many are at odds with the ridiculous demands of their unions and the radical changes in classroom curricula.

• Nurses. Doctors and families count on them to provide the hands-on care to patients, and to do so in a professional, caring manner. They, too, are overworked and underpaid.

• Politicians. Yes, you read it correctly. Of course, I’m referring to the ones who quietly go about their jobs, and put their districts’ and states’ interests ahead of their own. They exist, we just don’t hear much about them.

• Small business owners. These folks are the backbone of our nation’s economy. Why does the government burden them with such regulation and taxation?

What do all of these heroes have in common? They go about their jobs quietly and unassumingly. The ordinary doing the extraordinary. They neither seek nor want public recognition or acclaim for what they do, as what they do is “normal” to them.

1 Peter 5:5 states: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Whether they realize it or not, these heroes are living this command. Their work should be viewed as extraordinary by the rest of us. Right?

So, there’s reason to be encouraged and optimistic. We are surrounded by heroes.

I’m sure I’ve left out some professions. If you have any to add to the list, please comment. It’s your chance to give some credit and a little love to your heroes.