When I was a kid I had several heroes. The Lone Ranger was one of my favorites. He had a cool outfit; sort of a cross between a super hero and a country western singer. He got to play with guns. He had a native american as a best friend and his horse was truly amazing. And the theme song, the William Tell Overture, was what I hummed around the house all day long. Nearly drove my mother crazy with that one. Who wouldn’t want to have been the Lone Ranger?

But that’s only make believe. Real-life heroes are much more down to earth. Real heroes get their hands dirty helping real people with real problems. And most real heroes go completely unnoticed. They don’t leave behind silver bullets so that everyone will have a reminder of who they were and what they did. I know a real hero. His name is Jesse Pipes.

Now, in hero land, you never reveal the hero’s true identity but in the real world we need to see more of our heroes for who they really are. Jesse Pipes is one of the most unassumeing guys you’ll ever meet. He’s got some manerisms that truly resemble storybook heroes. My family kids about how we can be watching TV on a Friday or Saturday night and look over to find that Jesse has appeared in the corner of the room. He’s silently slipped in with his McDonald’s cup and he’s just watching along with us. And then we’ll look around and notice that, just as silently and suddenly, he has spirited away as quietly as mist. Never underestimate his sneakiness.

But what makes Jesse a hero is the fact that for two years he has picked up our buddy Cody every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. He has faithfully made the phone calls, chased down Cody’s whereabouts, gotten him breakfast and lunch whenever he needed it, and returned him home safely without incident. That, in my book, rates as heroic. It rates as heroic in God’s Book as well.

“‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you …’ The King will reply, “I tell you the truth , whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matt.25.34-40

I just wanted to pay tribute to one my heroes. Thanks, Jesse, for a job well done.