There is much talk of heroism and heroics these days.  To many, our President is a great hero.  He is the first man of African ancestry elected President of the United States.  Because of his race, they consider him a hero.  To some, merely being popular with the press seems to qualify Obama for hero worship.

Others consider great athletes like Manny Ramirez and Tiger Woods to be heroes. The physical abilities and discipline (or in the case of Manny, lack of discipline) set them apart.

There is the notion that joining in the latest trend, like recycling Whole Foods bags to stop global warming makes one a hero.

Let's set the record straight.  Heroes are people who are brave, and bravery often requires lonely activity.  Going against the flow and popular opinion (William Wilberforce who ended slavery in Britain comes to mind)  are also often part of being heroic.

Bravely going alone is a very hard thing to do, and doing so without complaint is a remarkable act.  Going it alone with hope and joy sets an example for all those around us. Heroes are people who set such an example. They may be old or very young.

An example of an impossibly brave young man is the  seventh grader Jake Olson.  He plays center for his Huntington Beach Christian School football team.  It was not his athletic prowess that caused a national television program to feature this young man. His school principal Art Blietz tells his story: "When Jake was eight-months old, his family was told that he had cancer in both eyes, and he began chemotherapy.  Soon afterward his left eye had to be removed.  During his kindergarten year, the doctors found cancer in Jake’s right eye.  Jake has suffered with this disease in his other eye for many years.  Jake has had some “good” years and some years which have been more difficult.  Jake has seen God perform some great miracles throughout this struggle.  Jake’s eye sight has been distorted at best.  Less than the three weeks ago, Jake went in to the doctors to have some treatment to the tumor in his eye. The doctors discovered more tumors and Jake and his family were told, short of God performing a miracle, Jake would have to have his right eye removed, leaving him completely blind."

His school principal wrote to request that his fellow students' parents ". . . not to feel sorry for Jake and his family as they are not feeling sorry for themselves, but to ask you to pray for him and his family . . . Jake is an amazing young man and he and his twin sister Emma are a blessing to HCS.  They will need a lot of support and encouragement.  We will triumph together, and we will see God do some awesome things.  Please pray for the Olsons."

Needless to say, a public school principal would be unable to mention anything so hopeful as "prayer" and "God" but more important is the incredible witness that this young man is to an unbelieving world. 

Even if you care absolutely nothing about sports, college football, USC, Notre Dame or Stanford, you really need to see this boy's story.  If you have a heart you will have tears in your eyes.  If you had a Thanksgiving without any thanks, this will have a positive affect on you.  If your focus this Christmas is on "holiday" shopping" and not the "reason for the season," you need to watch this.  Please click on the link to watch the brief episode of ESPN that featured Jake, a genuine hero: