Hero Worship (Friday Devotional)

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.”

- Psalm 146:3-8

As the 8^th inning drew to a close, my 10-year old body fidgeted nervously in the uncomfortable stadium seat even as my eyes locked in on the Texas Rangers bullpen. The Rangers had scored 3 runs in the 8^th, staking them to a narrow 9-8 lead with three outs to go in the game, a save situation. This was a job for only one man: John Wetteland, my greatest hero.

Wetteland had been my favorite Ranger ever since I’d started following baseball two years earlier. One of the premier closers in the game, he had a flair for the dramatic that endeared him to me, often struggling with the first few hitters and putting them on base only to strike out the next three with ease. His laid back, fan-friendly demeanor off the field contrasted with his intensity on the mound, and his status as Most Valuable Player of the 1996 World Series (when he had been the New York Yankees’ closer) gave the Rangers some postseason bona fides—much needed for a team with one playoff win in franchise history. Simply put, I thought John Wetteland was the coolest man on earth.

So when he trotted in from the bullpen, I was already anxious to watch him work his magic, but an announcement over the P.A. system only increased my eagerness—a save here would give Wetteland 300 for his career, a milestone that only six closers in baseball history had reached at that point. As his biggest fan, I now had the chance to watch him make history right before my eyes.

So when Miguel Tejada grounded a base hit past the third baseman, I wasn’t concerned—it was just Wetteland being Wetteland, adding some extra excitement to what was soon to be a special occasion. When Jason Giambi, one of the best sluggers in the game, strode to the plate, I still wasn’t worried. I was certain he would be no match for my hero—not on this night, not with me in the ballpark rooting for history. So you can imagine my horror when Giambi belted the fifth pitch of that at-bat over the right field stands for a home run. The lead was lost, the save blown. There would be no milestone that night.

Blinking back tears of disappointment, I told my dad I didn’t want to stay for the rest of the game (which the Rangers actually ended up coming back to win). I just wanted to get out of there. For the first time, I was furious with John Wetteland. How could he have failed on such a special night, with his biggest fan in the ballpark and history on the line? How could he let me down like that?

That’s the trouble with hero worship—even heroes are fallible. That’s part of why Psalm 146 cautions against giving your wholehearted devotion to people, no matter how famous or impressive or powerful they are. Ultimately, even the most inspiring heroes are merely mortal, full of their own flaws and agendas and unfulfilled promises.

So the psalmist encourages believers to instead worship the Lord, to place your ultimate trust in Him. While people are mortal, He is Alpha and Omega, Creator of heaven and earth. While people inevitably break promises and fail to meet expectations, God offers truth that does not disappoint. While people look out for their own interests first, God cares even for the most vulnerable and forgotten segments of society—the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners.

In our sinfulness, we are prone to idolatry; we have a bad habit of lifting up people higher than they should ever go, exalting their abilities and ignoring their faults. It’s no wonder that we find ourselves perpetually disappointed in these public idols—we expect a kind of perfection they were never created to reach! But where hero worship inevitably disappoints, holy worship satisfies. So rather than settling for the mortal princes of this world—whether politicians, athletes, movie stars, or millionaires—may you place your faith instead in the God whose powers and purposes transcend theirs.