I need a hero

Do you remember that song from long ago "Holding out for a hero" by Bonnie Tyler? It impacted me as a young girl growing up and somehow it seems even more relevant today. Here's a few of the lyrics:

Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the gods?

Where's the street-wise HerculesTo fight the rising odds?

Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Late at night I toss and turn and dreamof what I need

I need a hero,I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night

He's gotta be strongAnd he's gotta be fast And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a heroI'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light

He's gotta be sureAnd it's gotta be soon

And he's gotta be larger than life

Since I'm a historical writer, I do a lot of research on the habits, culture and customs of the time period in which I'm writing. And lately there seems to be a huge gap between the young men of our present culture and the young men of long ago. Now, I'm not talking about the low-lifes, ruffians, and miscreants. We have those in every culture. I'm talking about the average young man between 20-40 years old. Not too long ago, less than even 100 years, young men were expected to be achievers, successful, educated, cultured and mannered. If they weren't, they were unlikely to find a decent wife. They treated women with respect, wanted to be the leaders of the household, community and country. They fought bravely, they protected their families, they dealt with everyone with honor, integrity and honesty. I know I'm speaking in generalities here, and there have always been your "bad apples", but come on, how many young men do you see like that in our present time? There are exceptions, of couse, but most of the young men I meet are lazy, disrespectful, unambitious, spoiled, and generally dishonest in their dealings with others. I'm talking about the generation that spends hours in front of the TV, playing video games, drinking beer and getting fat on pizza. I even know more than one man who longs to be a house-husband.

What has happened? Is it women's lib? Have parents spoiled their children too much? Have we catered to their every whim and rushed to help them whenever they have called? Have we over-medicated them? I believe it may be a combination of all of the above, but I also think it has something to do with taking God out of our culture. There are no whimps in the Bible, and to me there is nothing more heroic than a strong man of God. All the qualities of a hero are embedded in the Sprit and principles of God: courage, strength, perserverence, honor, loyalty, dignity, truth, integrity, discipline, love.

What we need in today's world are more Men of God. What say you?