Vicksburg recently celebrated a hometown hero, Malcolm Butler. He made the victory-clinching play in Super Bowl XLIX for his New England Patriots. Our city reveled in his accomplishments. We should commend him for taking advantage of his opportunities in college and professional football. As the father of a former NFL free agent, I admire greatly what Malcolm did, making it in “The League” on its elite franchise. Hats off to Malcolm as he made Vicksburg proud and the parade was well-deserving. Let’s hope he has a successful NFL career.

Celebrating a hometown hero made me ask, Who are heroes? I came up with four answers to this challenging question. First, Sports/Song/Screen Heroes. I admit to having my sports, music and movie heroes from childhood. These men and women, all whom I have never met, have accomplished unbelievable feats in athletic, musical or silver screen competition. Sports, song and screen heroes are people whose skill, dedication and success cause many to be a little jealous; wishing we had made it big-time. In our society we idolize those who have won their league championship, been inducted into a hall of fame or achieved star status by winning an Oscar or other famous award. At the end of the day, sports, music and movies belong to the entertainment side of life. It is a passion and paycheck for many, but for vast millions of us it is entertainment.

A second kind is Service Heroes. This larger group includes law enforcement, educators, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, elected officials, emergency medical technicians, pilots, military, mechanics, rescue personnel, clerks and many public servants who make life better and safe. I consider teachers real heroes. They taught me to read and write and encouraged a thirst for learning. Being married to a high school math teacher gave me an up-close view of a serviced hero…a lady who went to her school, whether she felt like it or not, to guide the learning of high school students. Though retired, she was not motivated by paycheck, but professionalism to teach math. These real heroes live among us without fanfare or hype. What they do for us is real life.

Another group is Spiritual Heroes. These are the husbands, wives, children, in-laws, grandparents, relatives, friends, mentors, ministers, etc. who have and are investing themselves in us to be people of purpose, love, joy and moral strength. These individuals are those closest to us who love and provide for us in daily life. Whereas I do not personally know a sports hero, music legend or Hollywood icon, I know many local spiritual heroes. Sadly these heroes are the least appreciated in Vicksburg. These individuals do not have parades held in their honor, and more often than not, receive the brunt of our mad, sad and bad deeds. This group deserves our best love and support. These heroes shine the brightest in my book and deserve our sincere accolades.

A last group is what I call Silent Heroes. Never do I go into a grocery or convenient store to purchase a loaf of bread or gallon of milk, stand in front of the shelf and ask, “What is the name of the person who climbed out of bed on a cold night, went to the plant, followed their employer’s orders and made this needed product available in a legal, safe and plentiful way for my family and me?” I will never know their names or identities. Our nation is blessed with many silent heroes whose work ethic and integrity make our lives safer and better. These heroes perform routine tasks with excellence. As we consume products in daily life, we should be more thankful than ever for these silent heroes.

Heroes. Think about it. Using whatever labels or categories you desire, identify those people who make your life better, safer, happier, fuller and blessed. In being more thankful for others, you will become a better person and likely a hero to someone else. We need more service, spiritual and silent heroes and we will continue to cheer for our outstanding sports/song/screen performers.

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Dr. Matt Buckles is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church Vicksburg.