The Imperfect Hero

This is a short film incorporating Christian values in the process. It is based on a man who had 80% burns on him at 22 months old. A truck crashed into his car at a toll booth. It exploded into flames and he was unable to escape. His parents could not find him amidst the chaos.

At the hospital, his parents prayed fervently for a miracle. They were undecided as to whether he should live in suffering or die to perfection. In the end, they left it to God. He survived.

He was practically disfigured despite the attempts to recreate his face. Cartilage had been taken from his hip to give him an arm but his fingers looked like stumps. He had to use a prosthetic leg. He retained only his other arm and leg. His eyes seemed to sink inward due to his face and he had only a little of one ear left while he was bald.

Through all this, he never gave in to despair. He learnt to run, jump, play and be a normal person like any other. He could even shoot a three-pointer in basketball. He knew that he represented all the hopes, efforts, love and miracles of those around him and didn't want to let them down. He knew that what God gave him within himself would not be disintegrated or be any different despite his outward lack of appearance.

His family loved him and the friends he had, though few, were true, as they looked beyond his outside. He even managed to marry and be a father. God allowed it as his diaper was wet on that fateful day. He had wondered how much his wife had to ovecome by being with him but God had told him to just receive it.

The trial for the truck driver began and the truth was poured out. He had wanted to kill his mistress beside him, who had threatened to tell his wife about their affair. So he crashed his truck into the family's car. He was full of remorse and kept his head down. When the man took the stand, he said he had forgiven the driver and prayed for him, that he would be open to God's grace to move on with life, in mercy and forgiveness.

I saw this film at my choir's prayer session and we had a sharing after that. It is indeed a rarity and a good exposure to our sheltered society here in Singapore. It puts us, especially the youths, into perspective. We learn to be contented with our deficiencies which are molehills compared to his. We learn to adopt his attitude of counting his blessings amidst his curses. We learn to forgive our enemies, which requires divine backing.

We vow never to be the cause of suffering to others. We learn to look beyond appearances and be indiscriminating. We learn to cherish the little we have and be thankful. We learn to be persevering in our endeavours and to believe in our God-given abilities, bringing out their potential for His glory.