Hero's Journey
This is a talk I taped for my church, Wayfarers Unity Chapel, in Dillard, Georgia
The Hero’s Journey
5/4/2020
Play All My Trials on guitar
That was All My Trials, an American folk song. It seems appropriate for the times today.
I don’t know if this is any comfort, but you learn more from your hard times than you do from your good times.
Hi, I’m David Stearns, a member of the heart of Wayfarers Unity Chapel. My talk today is inspired by Joseph Campbell’s book Hero With a Thousand Faces. His theme is commonly called The Hero’s Journey. He talks about the epic heroes, like Ulysses and Hercules, and what they had in common. He also says that each of us can be a hero in our own lives, in our own way.
You don’t have to wear a cape or leap tall buildings in a single bound to be a hero. Each of us can be a hero, by having high ideals and helping others. The bottom line to being a hero is to follow the Golden Rule. Love for your fellow human beings and life itself is pretty much a prerequisite for being a hero. When Jesus was asked, “What is the law?”, he replied “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” I would say Jesus was the greatest hero of all time. He also said to his disciples, “What I have done, and even greater things, you can do.”
Dominic Torretto, in the Fast and Furious movies, once remarked, “Life without a code is meaningless.” My personal code is to respect Life, respect others, and to respect myself. I don’t always succeed, but I keep trying. Your code may be different, but following the Golden Rule has to be a part of it, if you want to be a hero. Heroes are not perfect, and you may make missteps. According to legendary coach Vince Lombardi, getting up after you have been knocked down is the spirit of a true champion.
Ask yourself, “What talents do I have? What am I interested in? What resources do I have?” Don Juan, in the Carlos Castaneda books, said, “Pick a path with heart.” An example of present day heroes are all those who are sewing masks at home, including my wife, Karen. Every time you do something selflessly for someone else, you are a hero.
Every time you support Nature or animals or plants, you are a hero.
Every time you do something hard, because it’s the right thing to do, you are a hero.
Active self improvement also qualifies you to be a hero. Everyone knows where their work lies, although author Tom Robbins once wrote that “Most people can’t even act in their own movie, much less direct it.”
Every time you refuse to respond to an unkind remark, you are a hero.
In television and the movies, the heroes defeat the bad guys. In real life, building up good is more effective in the long run, than defeating evil. Bruce Lee and his brother used to take to the streets in Hong Kong, to seek out and fight with hoodlums. After his brother was seriously injured, he realized that helping others was a more fruitful path than fighting bad guys. This also brings to mind the New Age proverb that what you are for, strengthens you, what you are against, weakens you.
While it is necessary to combat evil sometimes, the slower, more laborious process of building good brings more lasting results. My martial arts teacher, master Ngo Dong, said, “It takes 100 years to change the people.” Think how long it has taken since the end of the American Civil War, to change white people’s attitudes towards black people.
Be a hero in your own way, in your own life. Do what you can to make the world a better place.
A cautionary note is that we may be spiritual beings, but we live in a physical world, where the strong make the rules. Our ability to do good is within the framework of the societies we live in. Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
A few. personal notes, and I will wrap this up:
A turning point in my life came when I realized that I could choose my own path, that I could be a hero if I wanted to be, and that I didn’t have to believe everything that I was told. We need the guidance of parents, teachers, and ministers when we are growing up. However, this tends to program us to think and believe what we have been taught and not to think for ourselves. Many people who consider themselves to be open minded, are only open minded within their belief system. If you remember that everyone filters information through their belief system, you can comprehend how some people can maintain seemingly improbable ideas. An example would be that 40% of the American people believe the earth is 10,000 years old or less. If you don’t believe me, look it up.
If we choose, as we mature, we begin to think for ourselves. We can all be heroes, every day, if we choose to. If you are interested in a copy of this talk, let me know, and I will get it to you. Thank you for allowing me to share my truth with you.
Peace, Light, Love
Play All My Trials on guitar
