Heroes of the faith

Who springs to mind when you read "heroes of the faith"?

Lots of big names, I'm sure.

My parents supported a church plant (as we call them nowadays) in a low-income area of our city. We all attended. I got quite involved in children's and youth ministry, committee membership and participating in services. I made some good friends there, but there were too few as peers and I did feel rather like a fish out of water.

Nevertheless, this was our church and that was it.

People who stick in my mind:

Dolores T. Her husband had been injured in an accident on army maneuvers. Had a debilitating brain injury (an artillery shell fell during loading onto a truck and hit his head). DT was ever polite and cheerful, raising with her husband I think three or four children. I remember the two oldest: girls and their younger brother. All polite, calm and self-effacing, and with a resilient quiet cheerfulness. My mother admired and helped Dolores as friend to friend.

Norm F. He and his wife were disability pensioners. Norm had a chronic neurological condition that gave him almost continuous severe headaches, sometimes keeping him in bed for a couple of days at a time. He and his teenage daughter came to church most Sundays. His wife, also disabled by illness, rarely. He was ever faithful, quiet and humble. Always approachable, even if sometimes beset by squalls of illness.

Christine H. She was a committed, resilient and wise woman married to a dope. She had three sons. The eldest, a very quiet but intelligent electrical apprentice, was a friend. His younger brother died in mid-teens. My friend eventually got a job overseas in factory automation but died in his 50s of a lung condition (I think).

Horst S. and his wife. Horst had been in the German army in WWII. His wife English! They had a tribe of kids: well, five, that I can remember: four boys, of whom two were twins, and I think, a daughter. They had a border: a disabled older man with a chronic illness. Horst was a wonderful man. He was killed by a truck running into his bicycle. He died a few weeks after the crash. Two of his sons became ministers.

Robert V. S. Our minister. He came as a young man: he was old to me at 14, but now as an older bloke, he was incredibly young for such a challenging ministry. He was very smart, personable, wise and insightful. Could have ministered in a big city church and grown it easily. But he stayed in our small low-income church full of pensioners, the ill, and those of simple tastes. He was a huge influence on me and great encouragement.

There you have it.  From the worldly point of view, no one remarkable; no one dressed fashionably, no one drove a new car, no one had a large house, no one had a university degree, no one was known outside our circle. But for me, heroes of faith.