We All Need Heroes!!

Strip away the elements of wild fantasy and tedious history and the story of The Leper King is one of simple faith, hope, and self-sacrifice; a story in which the hero must overcome impossible odds to protect his people and all he believes at a great personal cost to himself.

According to Bernard Hamilton, British historian and author of The Leper King and his Heirs, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem suffered from lepromatous leprosy, the most deadly form of the dreaded disease. To give some idea of the king’s terrible illness, read the account of William of Tyre, Baldwin’s close friend and Chancellor:

It is impossible to refrain from tears while speaking of this great misfortune. For as he began to reach the age of maturity it was evident that he was suffering from the terrible disease of leprosy. Day by day his condition became worse. The extremities and face were especially attacked, so that his faithful followers were moved with compassion when they looked at him…

His sight failed and his extremities were covered with ulcerations so that he was unable to use either his hands or his feet. Yet up to this time he had declined to heed the suggestion offered by some that he lay aside his kingly dignity and give up the administration of the realm, so that with a suitable provision for his needs from the royal venues he could lead a tranquil life in retirement.

Although physically weak and impotent, yet mentally he was vigorous and, far beyond his strength, he strove to hide his illness and support the cares of the kingdom…

In our modern culture it is perhaps hard to contemplate what this great king accomplished despite the fact that by the time of his death at nearly twenty-four, he was blind and lame, his body eaten away by a horrible disfiguring disease. And yet, we are surrounded everyday by people much the same as he, who endure their own hellish existences, suffering in silence as they seek to make a difference in the world by refusing to be defeated by the vicissitudes of life. Where does someone find the fortitude to accomplish such a thing? Where did Baldwin find his source of inner strength? Certainly not through those who surrounded him at Court and saw his perceived weakness as an opportunity to advance their own petty agendas. No doubt he experienced ridicule and scorn, both veiled and outright, and knew firsthand the prejudices small-minded men could contemplate at the expense of those who suffer from life’s little injustices. The Pope, himself, boldly proclaimed that Baldwin was “severely afflicted by the just judgment of God.” Small-minded men, indeed.

As someone with a physical disability (though nothing like this young king endured), I find great encouragement and comfort from Baldwin’s example. I understand his need and his desire to push past his infirmity for the good of those he loved and the duty he felt to protect his kingdom, the need to determine for himself that his life would not be defined by his disability. He wished to meet life’s uncertainties on his own terms. Self-pity and sorrow were not luxuries that Baldwin, or any one of us, can afford.

One of my favorite movies of recent memory is The Kingdom of Heaven. Oft times overblown and certainly unhistorical in many details, the one character, however, in the entire story that is the most accurate is the Leper King. Even from behind a mask, the actor’s beautiful portrayal strikes the perfect balance between self-sacrifice and duty without ever transforming him into a pathetic character in need of pity. Baldwin certainly would not have wanted any.

Having written The Leper King before the movie hit the big screen, they both still bear out the same principles. Strength in weakness; hope in sorrow; faith in the face of tragedy. Yes, the story is an historical fantasy, and yes, I wrote the Magdalen and the Order of Sion to represent the opposite poles of Baldwin’s personal conflicts of faith and disbelief with Saladin as the hope that can be found in even the darkest of moments. But for me, the story of the Leper King is, at heart, an affirmation that the weakest, the seeming least able-bodied, can make a difference with their life. It is a story whose central character embodies the true definition of a hero. And we all need heroes—even disabled ones.

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