Christian Celebrity?

It seems like only yesterday when young superstar Miley Cyrus made the cover story of Christianity Today. How thrilling it was to hear someone so famous talk about her relationship with God. "I sing, dance and act for Jesus!...I do everything for Jesus." Christians across the country were excited that someone cool recommended Jesus!

Now in a new decade, times have changed -- Miley's changed. Many of her actions have caused Christians to pull back their Miley endorsements. She's not the only one who make mistakes, in fact some Christians have done things that are arguably worse in the eyes of our culture. In recent years we have seen pastors struggle with their sexual identity, Christian leaders abandon their families, and Christian authors manipulate their sources.

So, what’s the point?

Jesus is not cool or uncool based on human endorsement, no matter how famous that particular human. Trying to convert our friends because a celebrity “loves Jesus” is dangerous. Why? Because people, pastors, Axis employees, and celebrities, fail us.

We must tell others about Jesus. It is our duty as Christians to tell this dying world about the glorious salvation and hope that is Christ. However, we can’t base the gospel on celebrity endorsements or our own charisma. We must base it upon Scripture and upon what Jesus has done. He Himself is our firm foundation.

Titans from the worlds of politics, sport, music, television and religion stride the Christian stage and screen with an authority born only from their mass appeal. 'Following the star' has become the exact opposite of what it was for the three wise men. Today it leads away from Christ, not to him. - Os Guiness

The point is not to harp on Miley Cyrus’s mistakes or to compare ourselves to other Christians who fail. As a side note: if a video camera captured every moment of your life, do you think there might be some things TMZ would want to feature? The point is that authority on faith doesn’t come from mass appeal or celebrity endorsement.

So, where do you think authority on faith issues comes from? Make a comment or join the discussion on Facebook.

¹ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20186041,00.html

² Os Guinness, The Gravedigger File, p.154

photo borrowed from: http://www.celebrity-sunglasses-finder.com/image-files/miley-cyrus.jpg

What Cigarette Do You Smoke Doctor?

Isn’t it ironic when you drive by the entrance to a hospital and see a group of doctors and nurses smoking? It’s amazing how the very people who are responsible for promoting health, are the same one’s who are knowingly polluting their bodies and destroying their lungs.

Smoking wasn’t always viewed as a bad thing for your body. In fact, in 1949 when this commercial was made smoking was a status symbol, and seemed to be as innocent as eating candy. Now smoking commercials are banned, and many American’s would love to see smoking made illegal.

It’s amazing how easily deceived we can be in our culture, especially when we are misinformed. We as a culture, have been socialized into trusting whatever a person in a white jacket tells us is true. We have been trained to look at the “experts”, and follow their guidance. This is not always a bad thing, especially if your doctor suggests by-pass surgery to save your life. But this commercial from 1949 does bring up an interesting question: How many people were deceived into smoking cigarettes and destroying their bodies because a guy in a white coat told them smoking was okay?

Today, our culture is filled with “doctors” and “experts” on every subject. Think about the amount of shows on TV devoted to the medical profession. House, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, ER, General Hospital, Nip/Tuck, The Listener, Royal Pains, HawthoRNe, and Nurse Jackie just to name a few! Obviously these doctor’s and nurses are just characters in TV drama, but they are still teaching us ideas about life, God, relationships, and our identity in this world. Whether it’s the idea of giving into your bi-sexual desires, encouraging a woman to have an abortion, or simply that not all lives are worth saving, these people are trying to teach us something.

Even CNN and Fox News are filled with “experts” telling us that according to them someone has messed up the way life is supposed to work in this country. Whether it’s in the 1970’s where the scientists were warning about global cooling, or today when they are worried about global warming, they all have an agenda and a message. Eugenics, euthanasia, abortion, and many other “important” medical discoveries and processes come from “experts”, but a few years later, when you turn around and look at them again, it looks a lot like a doctor smoking a cigarette.

So whats the point? The point is not that we need to go into our doctor’s offices, and question everything the stethoscope man says about strep throat. But just because a guy wears a white coat or a woman is speaking from a college platform doesn’t mean that we can simply absorb what they are saying as true without analyzing the content. See, the issue is not unanswered questions, because there will always be a new discovery of something we don’t know anything about. The issue is instead unquestioned answers, the answers that the “experts” of our culture preach that we internalize without deciding if they are true ideas or not. In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul says, “Brothers do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” We can’t just believe what we hear from an expert, just because it comes from an expert. We have to analyze what they say, to make sure what they are saying is true.

Whether it’s a fictitious doctor from Grey’s Anatomy, or a real expert from Harvard University, we must be on our guard. Trusting the experts can save our lives, but it can also give us lung cancer. Just because our culture tells us to listen to an expert, doesn’t mean we need to shut down our minds and believe everything they say.

Awareness Test-Watch the video first!

Did you get the right answer? Videos like this are great because for a moment we get excited about counting all 13 passes, then we realize a little orange basketball and white outfits have kept us from the real story. When it comes to a silly video, we can laugh at missing the moon-walking bear, but what happens in real life when we focus on the wrong things?

Think about the man or woman who successfully navigates the business world by working a lot of hours and making a lot of money. Three cars sit in the driveway of their white victorian 6,000 square foot home with a swimming pool in the back and an indoor gym in the basement. Businessweek and the New York Times write numerous accolades in story after story, with quotes from every major businessperson on Walstreet. Our culture demands that this person be envied, respected, and looked up to. Business has been their focus, and they have counted the passes: 13!

The only problem is, our business professional has missed the lives of his children. Children that looked up to their dad or mom with respect and honor, but never felt any love or affection in return. In other words, our business hero comes home with a big number 13 tattooed to his chest, only to find an empty home with the remnants of a moon-walking bear.

Or what about the college student, who is pumped up about the four best years of their life right in front of them. Fall comes, they get involved in a fraternity or sorority, attend every major sporting event, every major party, and every campus ministry meeting. Monday night is ultimate frisbee, then there is Tuesday night Ice, Wednesday night they meet with their college ministry, Thursday night well we all know what to do on Thursday’s in college, Friday night is cookout night at the house, Saturday is the game with all it’s festivities, and Sunday is church and a little bit of rest before the week starts over again.

They could never have imagined college would be this much fun, and they are only three semesters into their college career. If you asked them how many social, athletic, or greek events the have each week they would probably say 13. Their GPA is now a 1.5 but it's only that high thanks to some online classes where notes are allowed. Everything is going well, until they receive a letter explaining their opportunity to bring their grades up elsewhere. With head bowed, and a regretful tone they repeat, “13...13...13” while, packing up their bear costume, and heading home.

Or how about the high school student, who is so excited to be in a relationship with him! She really is living a “Teenage Dream” every weekend, as flowers, movies, and dinners lead to her first experience with true love. You know, the kind of “love” we mean, the kind of love you see in Twilight. The kind of love that makes you realize how incomplete you were before you met him or her.

Anyway, our high-schooler is so excited about her relationship with him, that she gives away everything. Finally, she can be complete by consummating their love. 13 minutes later her life will be changed forever. As her belly starts to grow, so does the regret that Katy Perry promised wouldn’t exist. All she is left with is 13 minutes, while the bear moonwalks it’s way out of her life.

Awareness is good, but only if you are aware of the right things. Being aware of the wrong things can be devastating. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to

be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (niv)

Paul tells us over and over again in Corinthians and Galatians, that we can be taken captive by ideas and philosophies. Don’t get caught counting basketballs while missing out on the big picture.

Our enemy is real, deceptive, and distracting. So whether you get distracted by a melody line while internalizing a dangerous message, or whether you allow your job to consume your life, we must all “be self-controlled and alert” “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”