My new Heroes

What a thrill and privilege it was to be the guest of CNN at their Heroes telecast. I met amazing people, ordinary people, who saw a need and just stepped up to do their best to meet that need, without fanfare. I was uplifted hearing their stories and the impetus for their godliness. It was another reassurance that there are so many good, decent people amongst us, and that the H word will never win.

I did not know what to expect when CNN asked me to keep my appearance a surprise. Standing on the stage in the Great Whale Room of the Museum of Natural History (yes, a night at the museum) while people are standing and applauding, I just wanted to find a place to hide, in case you could not tell from my body language.

Part of my visit in NYC also was to record a conversation with Pastor Eric Manning of Mother Emanuelle AME Church in Charleston, SC on the subject of faith amidst trauma. A second round table included David Gregory of CNN, a priest from a church in Panama City, FL that now holds services in a tent due to a hurricane ripping off their roof, and a pastor from Paradise, CA whose house buried down as did most of his parishioners, yet miraculously the church escaped the wildfires. We continued the conversations about faith. This special will air Christmas Day on CNN.

Two interesting questions came up as a result. The first was the rhetorical question asking why “peace on earth, good will to all” is only present during Christmas. Why can’t it be every day? What a significant challenge. The second was a comment about how meaningful the conversation on faith was, and lamenting the absence of these types of conversation on television. I asked why CNN could not break the mold and change the national conversation. Stay tuned, dear reader.