Many young people today, when asked what they would like to be when they grow up, say that they would like to be famous. Being a celebrity has attractions that many would seem to covet. However, an immediate transformation from being a nobody to a somebody is a work-free promotion that many would not be able to cope with, nor would it be good for them. Having the adulation of many seems to be exciting, but dangers can lie ahead for those who suddenly become, for whatever reason, an icon, a famous figure and someone to follow. The cult of celebrity is alive and kicking and coveted by those who feel that it is for them.
One writer opined that “Having rejected the morality of the Judeo-Christian basis for western society, we have turned to the lifestyle of celebrities to inform us as to right and wrong.” There are many examples of this by Hollywood actors and producers living and celebrating wrong life-styles which influence so many who look up to these “idols” and other “celebrities” who think that they know better than their Creator!
Do you remember the 15 minutes of fame phrase from recent history? Wikipedia observes that this “is short-lived media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was formulated by Andy Warhol who was quoted by Time magazine in 1967 as saying that one day ‘everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.’ The phenomenon is often used in reference to figures in the entertainment industry or other areas of popular culture, such as reality television and YouTube. An older version of the same concept in English is the expression ‘nine days’ wonder.’ This phrase dates at least as far back as the Elizabethan era, referencing William Kempe.”
However, many who are famous today may have had to work hard over a long period of time to achieve fame and glory which was not their original goal anyway, just something that happened because of their work ethic, outstanding ability or other factors.
For example, according to Vedantu courses online, this question was asked:
“Do you know how many times Edison failed to invent the bulb? We can go and buy a light bulb quite casually at a shop. Imagine failing 2774 times to buy one. Yes! He failed 2774 times according to his records and then reached a working design of an electric light bulb.”
That was hardly instant celebrity or 15 minutes of fame as that was neither his goal nor did he live in a celebrity conscious society.
Then we have the example of James Dyson. Interviewed by Fast Company (May 2007), Dyson asserted the importance of failure in one’s life. “I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. That’s how I came up with a solution. So I don’t mind failure.” He battled for years and there was no instantaneous success that so many people yearn for today. He became a celebrity after much hard work with so many failures over many years, and his aim was to be successful in his chosen profession, not a celebrity which only came because of all his efforts over decades.
Wikipedia observes that “Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and, as of 2016, controlled five companies. Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. His first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student.” He set out over many decades to be successful in business with no thought of celebrity, although he could be classed as one now.
There are many more examples that could be quoted who by their own tenacity, foresight, ability and the sheer determination to succeed, may now be classed as celebrities, but that was certainly not their ambition when they set out on their life’s journey.
We quote these examples to show that hard work and ability over a period of time brought about their celebrity, not the wish list of some young people with little, or no experience of life, often influenced by social media and so-called “influencers” who, generally, add little or no substantive representation of real life.
Fame and celebrity is, of itself, worthless to a true Christian as it focuses on self and Jesus said to esteem others better or more important than self. We read in Philippians 2:3-4:
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better (“more important,” New American Bible) than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” The New Jerusalem Bible says: “… out of humility of mind everyone should give preference to others.”
The Apostle Paul was instructing believers to act with humility, avoiding selfish ambition, and looking out for others’ interests as being more important than their own, by following Christ’s ultimate example of selfless service. This means that we must value others, recognizing God’s view of everyone as valuable, and serving with Christ-like humility rather than pride which is so prevalent in society today. Celebrity today is all about pushing one’s own personal agenda first and foremost, seeking followers and building one’s own personal image, which is anathema to the Way of Life to which a true Christian has been called.
We read in Matthew 23:1-2 that Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples about the scribes and Pharisees, as we read in verses 6-7:
“…they love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’”
Celebrity and the acknowledgement of others were prevalent in the time of Christ, as we see from the above, which is something that we must avoid.
Most of the members of the Body of Christ may not be rich, famous or even well-known, with just a very few exceptions to that rule, but our details are written in the Book of Life which is infinitely more important.
When people become idols to others through their fame and celebrity, the first of God’s 10 Commandments is broken, as we read in Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Celebrity culture is contrary and diametrically opposed to true Christianity, because the former usually puts the emphasis on self-worship which we showed above, and is breaking the first of God’s 10 Commandments, and allied to this is the worthless pursuit of worldly fame which may seem exciting at the time, but has no lasting value.
Celebrity culture usually requires reliance on the outer person, the physical appearance which is part of the public image that is required. We may remember that God looks on the heart of man. 1 Samuel 16:7 is a telling piece of Scripture when Samuel the prophet was looking for a replacement for King Saul:
“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’”
On the face of it, David’s brothers may have seemed to be more appropriate but not in the eyes of God. Worship is only due to God, not to fellow human beings with all of their faults and frailties. We can hear, for example, that an aspiring sportsman may say that a particular person was his idol as he was growing up. In such a case, personal beliefs, standards and morals may not even be considered about the celebrity in question.
American author Charles R Swindoll wrote the following in his biography about King David.
“We want the beautiful people, the brilliant people, the ‘successful’ people. We want the best and the brightest. We are terribly enamored of the surface. The superficial impresses us much more than we’d like to admit. We even elect a president because he looks good on television. But God says, ‘That’s not the way I make my choices. I choose the nobodies and turn them into somebodies.’ And that, in a nutshell, is the story of the life of David.”
We read in 1 Corinthians 1:27:
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty…”
Swindoll continued:
“David grew up in obscurity. That’s another way that God trains His best personnel – in obscurity. Men and women of God, servant leaders in the making, are first unknown, unseen, unappreciated and unapplauded. In the relentless demands of obscurity, character is built.”
In Matthew 5 are the beatitudes where we read that “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (verse 3) and “Blessed are the meek” (verse 5), amongst other characteristics, “For they shall inherit the earth.” Alternatively, celebrity culture can often emphasize and highlight extreme wealth and an opulent lifestyle, which can conflict with these values.
Jesus preached humility and He Himself was the very epitome of that virtue. We must remember that He was God and with God the Father from eternity, but came to earth to die for the sins of all mankind as His life was of more value than all of humanity that had ever lived or would live in the future.
We should recall that the One, Jesus Christ, who created all things through the Father’s instructions (see John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16) was active in the very formation of the universe, holding it together and being preeminent over all creation. And with all of that power, He humbled Himself by washing the disciple’s feet (see John 13:4-15). No thought or sign of celebrity here, just humility to show how His disciples should behave. Most of mainstream Christianity don’t do this today even though Jesus said that the disciples then, and today by extension, should also do: “If I then, your Lord, and Master have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (verses 14-15). This was a powerful lesson to the disciples of servant leadership and it is a lesson which all of His disciples today desperately need to learn – a lesson in humility. And humility is, generally, unimaginable in normal celebrity culture.
The Bible contains a number of passages and teachings that caution against seeking worldly recognition and adulation.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Theologian and professor David Wells made this very useful comment: “Worldliness is anything that makes sin look normal and righteousness seem strange.”
The Apostle John says in 1 John 2:15: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Celebrity culture is all about self, how great I am, look at me and what I have… It is the very antithesis of true Christianity and much of this attitude is spawned on social media.
Can a celebrity be a true Christian? It depends. Herbert W. Armstrong could be described as a celebrity, and he was certainly a true Christian. What we are addressing here are “celebrities” who may espouse Christianity in one way or another but while they might have good morals, attitudes and behavior, most do not keep the 10 Commandments, the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, the law of tithing and the food laws, for example—beliefs essential, amongst others, that define a true Christian. There would have to be a substantial change in beliefs, attitude and behavior for them to become a true Christian, including true repentance, and we must never forget that God does the calling (see John 6:44, 65).
In short, the celebrity culture of this world and all that that entails is generally totally at odds with true Christianity which is God-centered, while the cult of celebrity encourages and advances the pursuit of fame and all of its supposed “benefits” of pride, material success, maybe even arrogance which is fundamentally in opposition to the gentle, caring and loving Way of God.
Worldly celebrities need the oxygen of ongoing public acclaim to keep their image alive and flourishing; true Christians never have that same necessity as they serve God in humility and love.
Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)