Hidden Heroes - Unlikely Guest List for Supper

This month’s guests around my MTW's bloggers' dinner table form an unlikely gathering:

Sir Winston Churchill and a coal-dust-impregnated miner, The Cast from the Parable of the Prodigal Son, King David and one of his wives, and a window-cleaner falling off his ladder.

I should explain. First, food poisoning.

As a student in Exeter many moons ago I had an unfortunate experience with an undercooked Carbonara. By 3am that night I was close to death…I shall spare you the details. The intriguing aspect of my recovery, however, was that my tastes had been altered. Instead of emptying a sugar mountain onto my Cornflakes, milk tasted sweet enough.

So it was, spiritually, many years later.

Initially, in the gospel, I learnt to think of myself as a son of God and joint heir with the Son, no longer a slave to sin. Years later, after some suffering, my understanding of the gospel re-emerged in a new form. Now I understood we are servants and sons…like Jesus.

It changed everything, including my heroes.

Nehemiah was my first biblical hero. A leader. A sole man with a vision from God. A man who got things done. He rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem whilst under fire from enemies without and within the Jewish community.

But now I began to notice other, more obscure ‘heroes’.

Winston Churchill delivered a speech on 31^st October 1942 at the Conference of Delegates of coal owners and miners, at Westminster Central Hall:

“We shall not fail, and then some day, when children ask: What did you do to win this inheritance for us and to make our name so respected among men?” one will say: “I was a Fighter Pilot,” another will say: “I was in the Submarine Service,” another: “I marched with the Eighth Army,” a fourth will say: “None of you could have lived without the convoys and the Merchant Seamen,” and you, in your turn will say, with equal pride and with equal right: “WE CUT THE COAL.”

Let's ask the un-named miner sitting next to Sir Winston to say grace and let the grace of God fall on our evening.

The Cast of the parable of the Prodigal Son. Who was it that understood the father’s joy over his returning prodigal son? Who was it that killed the fatted calf? Who were the musicians? Who started the dancing and rejoicing? Of whom was it that the prodigal said to himself ‘they have food enough and to spare’? The servants. After our supper, it's music and the dance floor.

And King David? I would ask him to say a few words. In fact, to read from 1 Sam 25:

"When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say…please forgive your servant’s presumption…Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling…and when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”  

Abigail’s intercession, her face to the ground, saved the day. It’s a dramatic story…with a romantic twist at the end. Abigail became one of my new hidden heroes perhaps representing the bride of Christ made up of all of us who have bowed down before the Son of David.

Finally, a half-remembered TV advert from maybe twenty or more years ago. I’m hoping someone reading this may remember it more clearly than I can. The TV ad was, I think, about a Building Society, but it could have been about a new car…I have forgotten. What I haven’t forgotten is that in the background, hidden, almost, behind the main action, a slapstick comedy was played out. A window-cleaner fell off his ladder. Now you forget the ad, the materialism, the persuasion, and find yourself laughing. Few would understand. You see things differently.

To end, I have a question. A number of my favourite writers weave into their multi-layered stories plots within plots. But does anyone know of writers who include 'hidden heroes' who could easily be missed but turn out to be vital to the story?