I found an article in USA TODAY that brought up some interesting questions with the fall out of the drama involving Jon & Kate. It's an interesting read. Click here for articleNow whether you want admit it or not, I am sure you have heard about Jon & Kate Plus 8. I am not here to judge or defend this couple. Actually, I am saddened over what the Gosselin family has gone through. But I think their lives beg a bigger question than the article linked above brings up. The question that we as the American church need to answer is, how do we pursue Christ-like character in a celebrity driven culture?
The article above used the word "seduced" in regards to the evangelical church claiming the Gosselin family for their own. It's a word laced with imagery, but it fits. However, I don't think it was their "piety" that drew in so many from the realm of the church-going. Actually, I think a legitimate malady of today's western Christian sub-culture reared it's head. Let me explain.
For some reason the Duggars - the massive family with a different reality show on TLC who profess faith in C
hrist - don't seem to get the media love that the Gosselins have. Let's face it, Jon & Kate were perceived as the "cool" couple with adorable kids that happened to wear the appropriate t-shirts flashing bible verses. They were also willing to show on TV they went to church. What's not to love!?!... So, my pragmatic side wonders, was it simply the fact that the American church was looking for celebrities of some sort that might validate the claim that faith in Christ is still "relevant" or "cool" in the here and now?Now, just for kicks, compound the American church's perceived lack of relevancy with this next reality. Our culture is enamored with instant every
thing - from fast food to hi-speed internet. Shoot, even William Hung parlayed his short yet memorable audition on American Idol into an album. The fact is we love everything "on demand" at the touch of button - even our celebrities. Realistically Jon & Kate fall into this category of instant celebrity. They went from being a couple with just twins to adding sextuplets, then mix in a TLC one-hour special, and bang... stardom. Five years later they are household conversation nationwide.It's clear our culture has cultivated an obsession with celebrities. But here's the irony, today's celebrities don't seem to have the wherewithal or the consistency of character to avoid the pitfalls that come their way. Instead, once these celebrities have the spotlight, they only intensify that spotlight by scandalizing their lives - DUI's, questionable internet pics/videos, etc... you know what I am talking about. Today, celebrities rise quickly and fall even faster.
So, where does that leave the church to stand? Well, after watching how many in the evangelical contingent ate up everything Jon & Kate I would say the American church followed the culture's lead. Don't misread this as a knock on the Gosselins (or even the Duggars for that matter), this is the furthest thing from the sort. More appropriately, I believe this evidences how far today's pop-culture has crept into the way the American church follows Jesus.
This enfatuation, even borderline obsession, with the instant even colors our perspective on our faith. The reality of our mindset is actually more similar to our modern day attitude toward a "dial-up" connection - it's nothing more than an inconvenient truth that can affect our lives in those unexpected moments in the middle of nowhere. It's apparent in our pulpits when preachers say you can "claim the blessings" that are our birthright NOW. Or in our bookstores when authors write about 5-step processes to experience the victorious Christian life today.
The mentality many of us have about our spirituality is not what author Eugene Peterson would call for; he asks us to view it as "a long obedience in the same direction." I would have to agree with Peterson's take. When I look at Biblical heroes very few were instant. Goliath was slain by a boy who cultivated a trust in the God who delivered him (and his sheep) from a lion and a bear. Israel walked across the Red Sea following the lead of a murderer - redeemed by God - who had fled from Egypt before. The man known as the "father of many nations" had to wait years past his prime for Yahweh to make good on the promise of a son. Unlike the Bible, it doesn't seem that we in today's church cherish the fellow saints in our faith communities who have walked with Christ well for years, for decades. We like our Christian role models like we like our celebrities - instant, successful, hip, relevant, and sexy (ok maybe that's too strong, in the least, "attractive").
Maybe it's just me, but this saga involving the Gosselin family serves a simple reminder. When Jesus called His disciples, He called them to follow. He called them to come along with Him and follow as individuals in community. He calls us to do the same today, as He leads. Learning to follow takes time, because we are submitting to another's design and direction. It can not and will not be quick. He called the disciples to follow Him as He moved toward the cross and the empty tomb. They grew by a strength not their own into following well enough to step where He stepped, to speak how He spoke, and to love as He loved.
So, as we move forward in this same strength, let us be wary of the spirit of this age that screams "instantly", "faster", and "now!" May we embrace a focus on the only celebrity with life in His hand, the One worthy of celebrating - Jesus, the Christ! And may God grant us the resolve to NOT succumb to the seduction of evangelicals today - the celebration of the instant.
