Wednesday, June 1, 2011

In the Company of Heroes

I wish I could fly!  Seriously, I wish and have since I was a child, to have the ability to fly.  Not like a bird, although soaring the tree tops like  an eagle would be quite acceptable, I wish to fly like Superman.  I have always wanted to be able to cry out in my best and most regal voice " Up, up and away" and take off like a rocket.  It probably stems from my desire to be a superhero - but without the tights - they are just too tight. 

If most were honest they would admit the same desire to be a caped crusader - some perhaps even with tights.  Imagine that you are the one who would be so capable and so sought after that when all was on the line - when the forces of evil appear to have the upper hand - when all hope seems to be gone - you are the one that is called.  Some might gasp at the the thought or shrink from the possibility of all the pressure and danger.  Some of us wish that if we were to be the ones who "get the call" that we would be equipped with X-ray vision, or super speed, or be indestructible or my favourite - the ability to fly. It's true.  That is why the movies about Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X-men etc. all get great amounts of people that go to the theatres and watch them because they secretly wish they were like them.  Reality says we are not.

If asked, most of us would say those guys and gals are just for stories - for entertainment - they are not real.
If we answered in that fashion we would be completely and utterly wrong!

I have just returned from Slave Lake, AB and for the last five days I have been in the company of heroes!  Real heroes not like the ones in the movies that have to rely on all those super powers before they will get in to the battle - real heroes. 

Slave Lake has been hit with one of the worst , if the not the worst fires in Canadian history.  Houses and infrastructure destroyed in a gulf of flame that some might say originated from the pit of hell itself . A fire so large and hot that all that was in its path was reduced to ash.  Who would foolishly stand in its path?  Who would dare to battle such a mysterious beast?  Who would be called to extinguish the appetite of such a monster?  Amazingly it was not Superman but normal people.  Normal only in the fact that they have no super power to call upon, no freakish abilities to rely on. Just normal flesh and blood people.  Real heroes. 

Who are these normal but by no means regular people?  They are the volunteer firefighters that gave every ounce of themselves to protect the people of Slave Lake from this fiery foe. They are the police officers who made sure the town was safe from looters during the evacuation. They were the EMT's ready to respond to medical crisis.  We may come to expect this type of behaviour from these professionals but they have fears and concerns like the rest of us and they too have families who worry much about their safety. (I know this first hand as my father served proudly as a Toronto police officer - thanks Dad.)


The list of heroes does not end with the emergency responders though. I was a witness of great acts of bravery from residents when they returned to tell their stories of  harrowing escape.  I saw young teens trying to act like they were okay when you knew they had been terrified only days before.  I watched as parents whose houses had been destroyed tried to establish normalcy for their small children.  I heard stories of complete strangers risking their lives getting elderly people from their homes.  I was blessed to observe people offer their time to volunteer who had lost everything in the fire even comforting those who had not. It was a privilege to see these people muster courage and begin to rebuild their lives, their town and ultimately their future with  surprising efficiency.  Your fortitude and resolve is an inspiration.  You are all heroes in some way.

Their days ahead will not be easy but I am convinced that from the ashes will arise a great tale that will be told for ages to come.

It was a blessing for me to participate in their recovery.  The honour was completely mine as it it would be for anyone who found themselves "in the company of heroes". God Bless you all.

Philippians 4: 12,13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength. 

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