The Catholic Writers Guild

James was a classmate of my oldest son. A wiry, expressive young man, he had no difficulty letting those around him know his thoughts and dreams. And near the end of the Seventh grade field day, James showed the kind of stuff he was made of.

When James’ team looked like they were going to lose the Tug-of-War game, they all let go of the rope at once. Seeing defeat was inveitable, they sacrificed any chance at victory in the hope of at least embarrassing the other group by making them fall.

But not James.

James wrapped himself around the rope and wouldn’t let go. As the other team dragged him far across the boundary line, James still wouldn’t let go. “I’m never gonna quit!” he shouted in a voice that made those around him chuckle in surprised wonder. Why keep trying, when all was lost?

Later, on reflection, I realized something.

James’ commitment to winning, or at least losing with honor, was a heroic thing.

I still remember this event years later. But do you think I remember anyone on his team who quit?

Do you think I remember anyone on the other team that won, for that matter?

Nope.

History is littered with people we’ll never hear about that they gave up when it made perfect sense to do so.

The real heroes of human history did with their faith and causes what James did with the rope that day.

They had commitment.

We remember Leonidas for taking 300 Spartans against a million men, but none of his generals who stayed home.

We remember the 12 year old, unarmored David for taking on the seasoned warrior Goliath with sticks and rocks, but not any of David’s brothers who advised him against the action.

We remember the amateur shipbuilder Noah, who made an enormous vessel in a desert because God told him to, but not anyone who mocked him during the 120 years he built it.

For our heroes to be, well, heroic, they really can’t be ‘reasonable.’

Giving in to Xerxes and making Sparta a province of Persia would have been pretty darn reasonable, wouldn’t it?

Letting professional soldiers take on a professional fighter would have seems pretty reasonable, doesn’t it?

Deciding that God telling you to spend over a century building a giant boat miles away from any body of water was actually a bad dream or a hallucination would be pretty reasonable, wouldn’t it?

Saying three little words like “Caesar is Lord” seems pretty reasonable, especially if it stops you from being tortured or fed to the lions, doesn’t it?

Anyone can be reasonable. For our heroes to be heroes, they have to keep fighting on and moving forward, even when it’s utterly unreasonable to do so.

And, for them to be Catholic heroes, they need to do with their faith what Catholic martyrs did with the truth, what Leonidas did with the Persians, what David did with Goliath, what Noah did with the ark, and what James did with the rope.

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John McNichol writes from Vancouver, WA, where he lives with his lovely wife, seven splendid, troublemaking children, and The Dumbest Dog In The State of Washington. He has published two novels: The Tripods Attack! and The Emperor of North America, the first and second novels in the Young Chesterton Chronicles, a Catholic-themed adventure series aimed at young men.

He still hates broccoli.