I have noticed that the superhero movies tend to do well at the box office.  The same superhero can be featured in several movies and the theaters are full.  Why is that true.  Is it attributed to superb acting and engaging special effects?  Maybe… I actually think there is another dynamic at work.

Our culture longs for heroes.  They are out there, if you look.   There is a particular longing for the kind of heroes that most people will never know.  The kind of people that do their heroics at home.  They are the brand of heroes that don’t wear capes or possess supernatural powers.  Cable news will not pick up on their stories and videos about their feats will not go viral on social media.

I heard a story about one of these heroes of the home this past week.  I am going to change a few details to protect confidentiality, but the integrity of the story will remain intact.  I had a conversation with a young woman who adopted several children from different countries. English is not necessarily the first language of these children.  The children are different racially and culturally from their adoptive mother. You can imagine some of the challenges this mother faces every single day.

Enter Boaz. (I am giving him the name of a fitting biblical character to protect his privacy.)  Boaz is romantically interested in this mom, who has committed her life to mothering a group of children from different countries.  So…she is a package deal.  The kids come with her. My guess is that a lot of men would run fast enough to qualify for the Olympics once they figured out what the package deal looked like.

But Boaz is a man of honor.  When Boaz chose to love this particular mother, he also made a commitment to love those children.  They ended up marrying.  He made a lifelong commitment to his bride with full knowledge of who she would bring with her into the marriage.  When she told me the story, the first thing out of my mouth was: Boaz is a hero. It’s that simple. Boaz is a hero.

Superheroes of the home are in short supply.  Men like Boaz are actually pretty rare.  There are a lot of single moms out there longing for a hero. And there are single dads who are searching for a true wonder woman.  But, when such “heroes of the home” do show up, their heroics change lives.  Their particular expression of heroism is unconditional love.  And I do believe the Scripture clearly states that love never fails. 

Our families and friends are longing for a superhero… Are you willing and ready to practice unconditional love?