Carl Brashear's Superpower Was Faith in Jesus Christ

 

By Lesley Barker PhD

Children are infatuated with superheroes. They talk about their special powers. They watch cartoons where superhero characters depend on their super powers. They play video games where they take on the personae of superheroes who can gain power and even additional lives to use after they have “died”. These imaginary adventures can seem to be more compelling than what happens in real life unless the children can be introduced to people whose lives prove that it is possible to be an overcomer. For the Christian, the superpower that works against all odds is faith in Jesus Christ. One way to introduce the idea of overcoming by faith is to share the stories of famous Kentucky Christians who had to face obstacles and still achieved amazing things. Carl Brashear is one such person. This is the story of his life.

Carl Brashear was born on January 19, 1931. He was one of eight children. The family lived in Larue County in a small house without running water or electricity. He attended a small segregated school and, when he was 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he became a diver. When Brashear reflected on his childhood he said “My father was my inspiration”. He remembered that “we had a lot of love in our family”. He thought “our faith is what kept us going”. However, his life was not always easy. As an African American diver in the Navy, Brashear faced a lot of prejudice. He wanted to be a Master Diver but no African Americans had ever qualified for that rank. Some people tried to keep him from advancing. Then, he went on a dive to disable a bomb but it exploded under water and he lost one of his legs. Did this disaster stop Carl Brashear from his goal of becoming a Master Diver with the Navy? He did not need two legs to dive or swim. He could still do a good job. He never quit. He kept working and retired as the first African American Master Diver. He said, “It’s not a sin to get knocked down. It’s a sin to stay down.” Talking about Carl Brashear, his brother Philip said, “With God’s help no dream is impossible”.

These broad strokes of Carl Brashear’s life paint a picture of a man who overcame many difficulties. He grew up poor. He faced persecution because of his race. His goal was to be the first African American to do something that many people did not want him to accomplish but he kept going. He suffered pain and became disabled but even that did not stop him from doing what he had set out to do.  He honored his father and he did not turn away from the faith his parents instilled in him when he was a child.

The children in your Sunday School classes and youth groups may have faced similar adversities including poverty, prejudice and pain. They may feel that God has abandoned them or that their parents do not understand what they are going through. By combining what the Bible has to say about overcoming by faith with the true story of this famous Kentucky Christian, your students may be challenged to pattern themselves after Carl Brashear’s testimony. Hold up his example as a famous Kentucky Christian and set it as a goal. How will you become a famous Kentucky Christian? How will you use your superpower of faith in Jesus Christ to inspire others to know and follow Him?

Follow this blog to learn more stories of famous Kentucky Christians that you can use with your children’s church, Sunday School or youth group. Post about how the children you minister to respond to these simple stories. Send us suggestions for famous Kentucky Christians that we may not know about.