Who is a Real Hero?
BANGALORE: There are so many people who sacrifice their lives for others who may not make it into the history books or public records. These unsung heroes do not help others so they can be remembered publicly; they help because service and sacrifice are part of being human.
It is our divine nature to want to serve others selflessly. This type of service often involves sacrifice. It means we help others without wanting any material reward. We find that those honored as heroes do not think about a reward, rather they claim their act of heroism was the right thing to do. In the same way, selfless service entails doing something because it is right. When we find someone in need, we don’t think about getting rewarded; we just jump in and do it.
Each of us has a divine nature. As soul, being a part of God, we all have that divine spark within us. One quality of that spark is having love for all, which means we treat everyone as one family of God. Just as we love and help our family members when in need, we also recognize all people as part of our family and we want to help them also.
For example, we recently saw a huge natural calamity in Jammu & Kashmir, in which 1000s of people died and 1000s were missing. Rains and rivers wreaked havoc in Himalayas. We also saw how quickly people rushed in to help. There are numerous heroes who do not hesitate to help others.
Heroes come in all forms. We can think of the sacrifice made by parents for their children. We see how neighbors as well as strangers help members of their community. We see people in all walks of life, such as doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, fire fighters, police officers, teachers, volunteers, and those serving their country as part of other organizations sacrifice themselves to help others.
By remembering those who serve, we are inspired by their example so that we can follow in their footsteps and make our lives one of selfless service to others. If we serve with an open heart as if serving God, then we will experience God’s love flowing through us while serving selflessly.
We should walk through life with our eyes and our hearts open so that we can hear the cries of our fellow beings. Then, we should do what we can to help them in their time of need.
If we make caring for others when the need arises a part of our life, we will be fulfilling one of the purposes for which God made human beings. God made humans to be of service to others, along with giving devotion to God. The purpose of life is to love God, know God, and serve our fellow beings. Let us be attentive to the needs of others and care for them. When we care for others, we are showing our love for God.