06/29/2026
Ernest Becker described Hero Systems as the cultural scripts that promise us cosmic meaning, significance, and the sense that who we are and what we do matters beyond our physical death. For example, the American Dream, military service, and family legacy are all modern hero systems. Of course, the church has its own too — martyrdom, pastoral hierarchy/celebrity, theological gatekeeping, etc.
Generally we frame following Christ as swapping out one hero game for another. But as Richard Beck in his book The Shape of Joy points out, what if the point is to transcend them entirely? Not in the sense that we exit the world, but in the sense that Jesus talked about becoming the servant of all. Letting go of a sense of “me” who will win or lose at the game of my life.
It feels to me like this may be the only way out of our deepest addiction of all — the preservation and success of the self. Which, even in our most “self-less” actions is usually operating in the background and wreaking havoc in ways we scarcely comprehend.
Our message this Sunday was titled “Undoing My Hero System” Listen to it here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetabletx or on Instagram click the link in bio.
