Everyone’s hero has the potential to be a villain to others.
We shouldn’t ignore the shadows of those we love … it’s a sober reminder that we are messy people living in a messy society.
He Saw That It Was Good xxvi, xxvii
Outside of Jesus, none of our heroes are perfect. All live in the shadows at times. All seek the shadows at times. You and I, hero or not, are in the same boat. What we see as our own heroic acts might actually look villainous to someone else—not that the goal is always to please everyone, but we must be cognizant of the larger world we live in and that our presuppositions about life are not always everyone else’s. For convenience sake, the animal market in Jesus’ day was set up in the court of the Gentiles—where it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way (at least anyone that mattered) way out there. But Jesus called the court of the Gentiles his Father’s house. The hero of convenience was a detriment to someone else’s worship.
Will we remain aware of our shadows, of our messiness? That’s at least part of what humility looks like, the humility that is necessary to experience the good.
Lingering Over Leaves 