As I began writing this week’s Mockingbird Monday post, I was in the midst of piecing together my thoughts about how Atticus Finch’s convictions (more than the possible outcomes of his choices) truly shapehisdecisions. I have been gathering some of the leadership qualitiesthat can be taken fromHarper Lee’s story for an upcoming event. But as I preparedmy presentation, I realized that in a culture thatequates good leadership with instant success and consistent winning – this can be a really tough lesson to sell. Atticus, by all standards ofachievement in our world, isa loser.

In the midst of focusing onthe qualities of this hero, Iread through the blog Ipublished several months back with Christianity Today titled, “Why we love Atticus Finch.” The piecediscusses the convictions of Atticus and explores why we are so drawn toa character that doesn’t win the day…why we admire the”loser” hero.So for those of you who missed itlast fall, I thought it would be timely to share:

The 50th anniversary this year of the beloved novel To Kill a Mockingbird has many of us remembering the Oscar-winning film and Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch—voted the greatest American hero of 20th century film by the American Film Institute. One key scene shows why this character has become enshrined as an iconic hero and a model of courage: Atticus, alone, facing down an angry, drunken lynch mob late at night with nothing but a newspaper.

Yet when you view Atticus Finch in light of many of our culture’s heroes, something doesn’t add up. Our society reveres success and power. Our heroes prevail in court cases, survive the island, win the big games. Christians seem just as determined to see our view recognized as correct, our argument heard, our sense of entitlement satisfied. Even the heroes of Christian culture seem to be winners these days.

So it’s remarkable that a half century after the publication of Harper Lee’s novel, we still celebrate this small-town lawyer who works out of a meager office and spends his time helping people who can’t afford his services. By today’s standards, Atticus Finch is no winner. We learn at the beginning of the novel that his last two criminal clients were hanged, and —spoiler alert!—his attempt to defend the innocent Tom Robinson (an African-American man falsely accused of rape) doesn’t work out well either.

Certainly, onlookers may have made assumptions about Atticus’ ability to handle himself. In the courtroom, he steadily draws out the truth without raising his voice, always treating Tom’s despicable accusers with respect they certainly did not deserve. He tips his hat in kindness to the old lady, Mrs. Dubose, who curses and taunts his children day after day. Known as the “best shot in Maycomb County,” he refuses to pick up a gun to protect himself. He takes on a court case that sets him at odds with his community and places his children’s well-being in jeopardy, but tells his daughter that no matter how bad things get she should always remember that these people are their neighbors. His actions aren’t expedient, clearly aren’t in his best interests, and on top of it all—Atticus does not win. Not the day, the argument, the fight, or even the court case.

So why are we so drawn to this character as a hero?

Read the complete blog here: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2010/08/why-we-love-atticus-finch.html