By Brad Locke
May 3, 2004

(AgapePress) - I've read and heard an awful lot about Pat Tillman the past week. I'm sure most of you have, too. So it's with no small amount of trepidation that I offer my own thoughts in the wake of everyone else's.

I'm not sure I can say anything new, but I feel I must say something about one of the true real heroes. Call Pat Tillman "The Last Action Hero" if you want, though he was much more than that. He was a committed patriot, an exceptional brother, an honorable son, and a strong husband. Oh yeah, and a pretty decent football player.

One thing I've drawn from all the stories and commentary on Tillman since he died in Afghanistan on April 22 is that he went at life with an intensity that often bordered on maniacal obsession. He walked on at Arizona State and became the PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. During his brief NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, he quickly established himself as one of the game's fiercest hitters. When his first shot at free agency approached, the Rams coveted him and offered a deal that paid a good bit more than the Cardinals could offer. But loyalty meant more to Tillman than did money.

Loyalty seemed to be one of Tillman's strongest qualities. When his younger brother, Kevin, left a minor league baseball career to join the military following 9/11, the pull on Tillman's conscience to do the same must have been twice as strong as it was with most other recruits. The Tillman boys (there is another brother, Richard) were extremely tight, and Pat must certainly have felt an obligation to follow his brother's lead. Couple that with his deeply ingrained patriotism, and the choice wasn't really that hard for him.

Of course, he had just gotten married. No sooner had Tillman and his new bride returned from their honeymoon in Bora Bora in May 2002 than Pat began his quest to become an Army Ranger. I can't even fathom how hard it would be for a newlywed to do that. They never really had a chance to be a married couple.

Tillman was a humble soldier, not once bringing up his football career, acting as if it was someone else who'd lived that life. His perspective on life extended well beyond fleeting athletic fame. He knew there was something greater than himself, something worth giving his entire being to. That perspective is what allowed him to leave behind the millionaire, celebrity lifestyle for an $18,000-a-year job cleaning latrines and risking his life.

I don't know precisely the root of Tillman's philosophy, what motivated him to be so selfless. I don't know if he was a Christian, but I do know that there is much about him that is admirable and worth emulating. There was no begrudging attitude in Tillman's fiber that gave him pause at making this radical decision. I've inferred from all I've heard and read that he wanted to become a soldier because it was the right thing to do, and he believed strongly in doing the right thing.

It's been amazing to see how the media have handled this story. Nothing but the highest praise from a group that normally touts moral relativism and practically deifies men who play kids' games. Much of it was sincere, but sadly, this sudden respect for such absolute conviction will fade with time, and we will be returned to our regularly scheduled postmodern programming. As has already happened with 9/11, our righteous anger will give way to apathy, and we will forget the legacy of ultimate sacrifice.

Of course, if you're a Christian, this should not be the case. We should be reminded daily of the attributes that distinguish us from the heathen, who can for a short time become enamored with morality, only to lose interest in it when they find it doesn't serve their selfish desires. We must do more to lift up as examples worth following those like Tillman, and all the other tireless souls fighting for justice.

While Tillman is no better than his comrades in arms, his celebrity helped define for us what our soldiers are going through over there. He epitomized what being a great American -- heck, what being a Christian -- is all about: loyalty, commitment, honor, excellence, strength, resolve, selfless service, and so much more.

And frankly, no one could ever write too much about that.