What We Can Learn from Jeremy Lin, an Unlikely Hero

Jeremy Lin, a point guard for the New York Knicks, is the N.B.A.'s first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent. Photo by flickr user nikk_la.

My copy of The Week magazine arrived with the predictable article about a cultural and sports phenomenon. “Jeremy Lin: An Unlikely Hero,” the headline proclaims. Undrafted for the National Basketball Association (meaning no one really thought he was a top prospect), Jeremy Lin recently burst forth for the New York Knicks, leading them to a series of unexpected NBA victories.

Son of Taiwanese immigrants, he’s the only Asian-American in the NBA, and the first Harvard graduate since 1954 to make it in the top professional basketball league. “Unlikely hero,” indeed.

I suspect none of us imagine ourselves to be a “hunger hero” either. At age 35 I had no idea I'd dedicate a major portion of my later adult life to hunger advocacy on the staff of Bread for the World.  In the more than two decades since, I’ve seen countless Bread members experience transforming, heroic moments growing in advocacy and faithfulness. 

Somewhere in your journey you may have learned of Bread and decided to make Bread’s justice work a priority in your life. Or maybe you’re just checking out our blog and wondering, how can I make a difference? Can I come off the bench, like Jeremy Lin did for the Knicks, and suddenly and unexpectedly empower myself and others to speak out for those on the margins? Can I too be a hero — in all the unlikely ways Lin has become one in these recent days?

Yes! We can’t promise you the national media coverage that Jeremy Lin has gotten, but we can say this: Your contribution will matter.

Join Bread for the World as a member. Connect with your Bread regional organizer. Discover the joy of heroic work for hungry people—on whatever scale you can imagine it. We welcome you!

Larry Hollar is a Bread regional organizer in our Dayton, OH office. Become a “Bread Hero” by connecting to us at www.bread.org.