Neal Pollard
They say it was chilling shades of Columbine 11 years ago, when a scruffy looking 32-year-old man with black, stringy hair opened fire at Deer Creek Middle School and wounded two junior high students. While suspect Bo Eastwood was reloading, Dr. David Benke, a long-time math teacher who was on after school bus and playground patrol, tackled him. It was an unfair match, though Benke is considerably older than Eastwood. He also towered over him, a former basketball player and almost six and a half feet tall. Benke remained calm, humble, and very matter of fact about the whole thing as he was interviewed by the media. Some Chatfield High School students created a Facebook page entitled, “Dr. David Benke is a hero!!!!” As of this writing, about 20,000 people have joined less than 24 hours after the shooting. People want heroes and Benke is a good fit. There’s the gentle, sure demeanor that quickly restored calm in a terrifying situation. There’s the willingness and ability to sacrifice himself to save others. As one of the page creators put it, “There was a shooting at deer creek middle school and Dr. David Benke, a math teacher there, tackled the shooter. He has my respect all the way.”
Though it is awful that such a shooting occurred, it is hopeful and refreshing to see especially young people targeting a man like Benke as a hero. With the Tiger Woods scandal still fresh on our minds, with sports stars, actors, models, politicians, and the like all too often disappointing and antiheroic, Benke is a great stand in for what qualifies for heroism–selflessness, loyalty, determination, and right actions.
It also reminds me of a song that was in the Songs of the Church songbook, written by Claude T. Lynn.
Why should I not love Jesus? Jesus who died for me!
Why should I not adore Him, Hero of Calvary.
Why should I not love Jesus? Lost and alone was I;
In His great love He saved me, lifted my soul on high.
Why should I not love Jesus? One day He’ll come for me;
Oh, I shall share His glory for all eternity.
While I am grateful for earthly heroes, how I am reminded that as a Christian I have a completely perfect, powerful, and pure hero in Jesus. May I never neglect to look up to Him.
The Preacher Pollard Blog 
David Benke is a Hungarian-American hero. Benke is a derivation from Benedek. To think of him, someone has to cook some goulash.
David Benke is like a man on a horse saving many lives. While he is of Hungarian and he is distantly related to the Mongols and the Turkic peoples.
There is another Hungarian-American like David Benke: Ted Varga. Varga saved many lives in Sandy Hook!
Thanks for sharing this!
There is a bigger hero than David Benke: Dawn Hochsprung and Victoria Soto. They gave their lives saving others.
Now, there is a bigger hero than David Benke: Master Sergeant Michael Terrance Landsberry. Landsberry gave his life saving a student, but God took him. Well done, rest in peace. Semper Fi, Mike Landsberry.
Thanks for that, Mike.