{"id":30764,"date":"2023-02-03T00:37:42","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T08:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=30764"},"modified":"2023-02-03T01:24:19","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T09:24:19","slug":"i-am-a-hero-or-i-am-not-a-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/i-am-a-hero-or-i-am-not-a-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"Accept Your Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frighten us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn\u2019t serve the world. We were born to manifest the glory of God within us. It\u2019s not just in some of us; it\u2019s in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.\u201d<\/em>[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

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The quote from Coach Carter\u2019s movie above highlights the idea that people are often limited by their fears and insecurities in their pursuit of purpose in life. These fears arise not because of our strength, but because we realize we have immense potential. If we have such potential within us, why should we be afraid? The answer lies in the fact that great potential often comes with greater responsibilities and obligations. Fear can overwhelm us when we are not ready to accept the divine duties that come with these responsibilities. This may be due to shyness, a lack of willingness to take risks, or a desire to live only for oneself.”<\/p>\n

As Campbell explains in his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” heroes in myths and legends are often called upon to fulfill great responsibilities. Campbell writes:<\/p>\n

Whether presented in the vast, almost oceanic images of the Orient, in the vigorous narratives of the Greeks, or in the majestic legends of the Bible, the adventure of the hero normally follows the pattern of the nuclear unit above described: a separation from the world, a penetration to some source of power, and a life-enhancing return<\/em>.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite being said that becoming a hero in carrying out noble missions and the entire journey is a gift[3]<\/a>, the process is often accompanied by stories of rejection in accepting the call given to them. It can be imagined if we experience being “separated from the world,” being specially chosen to receive extraordinary power and sent to fight evil and help the weak and suffering. I would love it if I watch a movie and see my favorite hero in action. But if I am asked to be in his position, it feels like it would be difficult for me to do.<\/p>\n

I am intrigued in interpreting Campbell’s writing and relating it to my life. I experienced a difficult struggle when answering the call as a pastor. It took years of my graduate school studies to grapple with the call. For me, it is not easy to accept the call because the more I understand the life of church service, the more I know that church service is not like my ideal picture before I entered seminary. The demands and heavy responsibilities rest on the shoulders of a pastor. But a senior pastor reminded me that our service is not because we choose, but because God chooses. Because God has chosen, He will certainly give us the ability and help in every situation, even the most frightening. This is what I also found in Campbell’s writing, that every hero finds the divine power they seek, and dangerously won is actually within them all this time. They realize that they are “the king’s son” and understand their true identity, allowing them to use their power appropriately as “God’s son.” This represents our divine creative and redemptive potential, waiting to be known and brought to life.[4] <\/a>This idea is in line with what the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter: But you are a chosen people,\u00a0a royal priesthood,\u00a0a holy nation,\u00a0God\u2019s special possession,\u00a0that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).<\/p>\n

Embarking on Campbell’s writing with my calling as a priest (and now also as a student of doctoral program) is not meant to imply that I am a hero. That term seems more appropriate for others. However, I push myself to be faithful in living out my divine calling. I dare myself to follow the calling with all the consequences that might occur. For that, I always need supernatural aid to encourage me to overcome my barriers and pass the threshold. Therefore I will have the courage to enter the belly of the whale and undergo the road of trials, facing the meeting with the goddess and temptress, achieving victory and receiving ultimate boons, and being sent to encourage, help, and liberate others.<\/p>\n

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[1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.samuelthomasdavies.com\/best-inspirational-movies\/quotes\/<\/a>. Accessed February 2, 2023.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>. 3rd ed. Bollingen Series XVII. Novato, Calif: New World Library, 2008, 28.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Campbell, 29.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>. Commemorative Edition. Princeton, Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2004, 36.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frighten us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":173,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2310],"tags":[2552],"class_list":["post-30764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-doctor-of-leadership-3","tag-dlgp02-campbell","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/173"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30764"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30768,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30764\/revisions\/30768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}