This quote is from the television show, Blue Bloods Season 2, Episode 22 (Mother's Day) spoken by New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) to Pop (Lou Cariou as Henry Reagan).
"I'm tired, Pop. The kind of tired you can't sleep off. It's not the big stuff. Hell. . . It's easy to make decisions to protect 8 million people on this island. What's hard. . . is knowing how that affects one single person, one single family. And if you lose sight of that you lose your humanity."
Hearing Frank speak the word humanity, I interpreted it with Webster-Merriam's definition: compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition: the quality or state of being humane.
I am aware that many of our television and theater favorites entice us with revenge (a big one), violence, and bloodshed. Yes, we are drawn to these action shows, no doubt.
I am also aware that some of our favorite entertainment allows for the idea of integrity, benevolence, humility, honor, courage, patience, understanding, respect, fairness, and personal responsibility.
These shows follow characters that struggle to do the right thing. Most of the time, they make the right choice no matter the cost. Sometimes, they make the wrong choice but are then able to work towards forgiveness and repentance.
In the past, we used to refer to these real-life individuals as heroes. Sometimes, we even conveyed some kind of secular sainthood upon them.
When we follow the traits of the 'action" movies in our daily lives, when we distance ourselves by judging or getting even with "them", we walk dangerously close to losing our humanity.
When we forget how our words and actions affect one person or family, we lose our humanity. Frank was right.
I've made some big mistakes over the course of these many years. Forgiveness has been (hoping it will continue to be) a two-way street. Tough lessons have been learned, usually more than once. I'll just mention one thing I have recorded as valuable because not all of these articles need to be novels.
I would like to see and know more heroes.
And, sometimes, I kinda wish it would be possible (Maybe just one time) for me to be a hero as well. I guess I left myself wide open with that statement. OK - well, bring it on. But before you laugh too hard, I'd be willing to bet that you'd like to be a hero too.
I have found that I come closest to this goal when it happens that what I do, say, and think creates those "Fruits of the Spirit" that we hear about every so often. If what I am doing, saying, and thinking does not result in these fruits, I am probably on the wrong path.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
Someone out there needs a hero.
Someone out there needs one of us to be a hero for them.
For your glory, Lord, let us all pay careful attention to the "one single person. the one single family" that needs us to wrap ourselves in the fruits of your spirit while stepping up to be the hero you have placed in every heart. Amen.
* * *
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