In 2014, actor Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for his portrayal of Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. In his acceptance speech, he cited three things he needs each day: something to look up to, something to look forward to and something to chase. He said he looked up to God who has graced his life with opportunities. He looked forward to his family — always there for him, always supporting him. And he said he chased his hero.
Who is it that you chase after? Who is your hero?
That question is an important one, but it is a dangerous question, too.
If someone really is your hero, really is the person you chase after and really is the person you try to emulate, then what happens if this person makes an awful mistake? Or worse, what if information comes to light about the person you chase after and call your hero revealing that their entire life and public image is just a façade?
There are many people who previously were highly regarded and considered “good people,” but it was later revealed that they were nothing they purported to be — they were a fraud, and their victims were the people who looked up to them and held them up as their “hero.”
That really hurts; it can make people cynical and bitter, questioning everything and everyone who seems “good.” That’s why it’s important to choose your heroes carefully and wisely.
McConaughey continued his speech, saying that when he was 15 someone asked him who his hero was, after thinking about it for some time he said, “I know who my hero is — it’s me in 10 years.”
Ten years later when McConaughey turned 25, the same person asked him, “So, are you a hero?” He said he was not even close. “Every day, every week, every month and every year of my life my hero is always 10 years away,” he said. “I’m never going to be my hero. I’m not going to obtain that; I know I’m not, and that’s just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.”
What does this mean for us?
As Christians, we look up to Christ, and we look forward to His kingdom — and we should always be striving to become more rooted in His word each day.
We shouldn’t hold any man or woman up as our hero and seek to emulate them in every way.
We will never be perfect; we will never be our hero, but when we look to the future — us in 10 years — and say, “I want to always be getting closer to Christ,” then we put that as our focus and we base our life on that principle. That is what we ought to be chasing.
- Andrew Domencic ‘19Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Jun 7, 2017
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On this National Day of Prayer in the United States, we remember our students in their finals week taking exams, finishing papers and closing out the semester at home. We are thankful that God has provided them and entrusted them into our care during their college years. We pray God will uphold us in this task and them in their challenges.
College is more than just a place to continue your education after high school. The time you spend at college will change and shape you in ways you could never imagine.
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