The Hero has existed throughout all of Humankind's history, fighting the Villian and the Darkness of the world, in reality, and as a mythic and fictional figure.
Whether he is pulling Humanity back from the brink of the Abyss, or pushing them forward into a visionary future, the Hero is ultimately an ordinary person, who when faced with extraordinary challenges, searches within themselves for the courage to overcome the odds.
As is documented carefully in scholar Joseph Campbell's life-long study of Myth, all cultures seek to understand the secret that the Hero appears to possess. Through stories ranging as widely as the Christ and Buddha myths, to Greek legend and Native American folk tales, right up to Hollywood superheroes such as Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker, Humanity has understood that by indentifying with the Hero, they are ultimately indentifying with the Eternal aspect of themselves. This part of them that has no fear of death, and understands that unity and equality through compassion, is the true and immortal state of all Humankind.
It is clear, therefore, that both cultural and fictional Heroes are not only admired for the daunting obstacles they overcome, but more importantly, for their clear vision of a better and fairer world.
One particularly poignant Native American myth explains a visionary concept that fits perfectly into the modern challenges presented by an ever more unified and global world. In this concept, each and every person's actions directly affects anothers. This unique view of cause and effect states that every single decision that a person makes throughout an hour, a day, or a lifetime, can be informed either by fear and hatred, or by love and hope. Simply by choosing which of these feelings will inform our decisions, we can choose the path of the Hero, instead of the delusion of the Villain.
This simple idea is expressed in the core of the Great Religions like Judeo-Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, and yet it is its very simplicity, that has become lost.
Perhaps the world needs to be reminded that the Hero is not a hero because he wins, or achieves, but because he chooses to fight against Darkness, for Love. Similarly, a Villain does not have to be simply murderous and corrupt, but needs only to stand in opposition to Love.
There are great heroes to fight great villains, but it is also necessary for there to be many less prestigious heroes, to fight the many less prestigious villains and petty tyrants. Every life by its very nature contains within it a Hero Journey, and when one sees with the eyes of one's Inner Hero, it is clear that Destiny delivers unique custom-made challenges to be overcome, for each individual who heeds the call to adventure.
Courage, heart and brains may be the qualifications, but the rewards are great, and always the same...
Freedom, understanding, and connection to the Divine!
