Heroes

This program examines heroes, including what we consider heroic, people in our lives that we consider heroes, and how we can become heroes to others.

Member Preparation

Our UU faith draws from many sources, including the “words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love” In what ways are heroines and heroes helpful in spurring us on, and in what ways does the greatness of Gandhi, Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King Jr., and others seem beyond us?

In preparation for this session, take some time to read the following quotes and to think about heroes that have touched your life, either directly or as an inspiration.

"The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one’s self a fool. The truest heroism is, to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when to be obeyed." - Nathaniel Hawthorne

"The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by." - Felix Adler

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." - Christopher Reeve

These questions provide ways you may want to approach this topic. Remember to focus on just one or two of the questions, if you choose to use them, as this will allow you to explore the topic in more depth.

  • Do the heroes and heroines that you admire inspire you to greater things? Or do you see them as so different from yourself that you can’t imagine that you could live as they did?
  • Are there times in your life when you felt particularly heroic? Or wished that you had been able to act heroically? What helped you or held you back?
  • In what way(s) would you like to be heroic to others?
  • Who are your own heroines and heroes? What are the qualities in them that you admire?

Further Exploration