It can be easy for us to forget that our God, the One who will love and support us no matter what, is also our biggest fan.

I personally am not a celebrity fanatic, never have been. But I must admit I have forgotten that I’ve got the best of the best constantly on my side, cheering me on! And that my friend is quite amazing.

Great post PB.
I love this line: Like less noisy self-promotion and more quiet humility.
You are a great example of this and I admire that about you.

the mistakes made by those who’ve become larger than life are announced, reported, magnified, and become a representation of sorts for Christianity.

The bottom line for me: I don’t want to become larger than life. I know I can’t handle it – the scrutiny, the criticism, the god-like status given by starstruck fans, the big business behind the celebrity machine always pushing to churn out more dollars through books, appearances and stunts, the lack of ability for anyone to say “No, that’s a bad idea – you shouldn’t do that,” the caricaturization that happens when you’re “known” on screen by the masses…

I come back to this – as followers of Christ, popularity and celebrity status and building platforms isn’t our calling. That’s an American thing and/or a 21st century 1st world thing, but not a Jesus thing.

“We get all excited about a celebrity who is “on our team” – as if we needed an endorsement by someone important to make us valid”.

It is a sad part of our fallen nature, this need to be validated by someone other people admire and/or respect, whether they should or not. While it is true that many of them have worked very hard to train and develope the special gifts given them, and are therefore worthy of notice, we forget that these celebrities, at their core, are just people like the rest of us.

It is especially sad to me when someone who is already a celebrity has an encounter with Christ and we immediately place them on an even higher shelf in our collection of ‘idols’, as if they are already seasoned in their faith. Too many times, their all-to-public struggles with their sinful nature bring stinging rebukes from the self-righteous, causing many to turn away from faith. Their story becomes just another “wierd christians” story – Bob Dylan and BJ Thomas come to mind.

When I stop and think about it, I can’t figure out why we don’t seem to be satisfied in the knowledge we have been endorsed by Jesus Christ? Perhaps we don’t really respect and admire Him as much as we’d like to think we do.

Michael Jackson
Paul Walker
ETC.

If I see them in heaven, that’s awesome, but why do we as Christians feel the need to spread blind rumors about people who we didn’t know?

“Like less excitement about a celebrity Christian, and more excitement about that person who just got saved in church on Sunday (and will probably never be famous).”

Great post PB.

I love the part about the interior life that people don’t know about- and that it’s often after saints are dead that their works remain. That from their “less” life they help “more” by their example.

That sure changes the game. We’re not just in this for the results we see now, but maybe for the results we’ll never see- the way that people are made better after our death.

That’s how I’ll feel about you Brian. I’m getting to live life with my own saint. Little “s”. love you