Fame Can Get You Killed

Celebrities have it rough. The pressure from society for non-celebrities is tough enough. But to have every move photographed or videotaped would be exhausting . . . and anger-inducing. So many have turned to drugs and/or alcohol in order to calm themselves and escape. Some to the point of death . . . John Belushi, Chris Farley, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. You know what I wonder when I see these talented people literally killing themselves with abuse of substances? I wonder if God was a part of their life . . . and if things would have turned out differently if they did everything for His Glory. Famous people have the opportunity to impact so many, leading their followers to God. Instead, many demonstrate behaviors leading in the opposite direction. Think about the pressure Jesus was under. Talk about becoming famous! Yet despite the chaos, He continued on with His mission, knowing it would culminate in His Death. A death He didn't choose for Himself. A choice His "fans" made. Do you see the irony? 

The Gospel (Mark 1:21-28) today demonstrates how fast the news of good works can spread. And they killed Him because . . . ? 

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”  Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, the quote she shares from Father Raneiro Cantalamessa basically sums up the problem with our society:

"For almost twenty centuries, Christians have been awaiting the return of the Savior King. Even His own apostles thought they would live to see His return as He had promised. While we pray for His return as an article of faith, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again,” we no longer truly anticipate Jesus’ return in our hearts, but consider it an event both remote and uncertain in time. Father Raneiro Cantalamessa, preacher to the Pontifical Household, in his homily on the Feast of Christ the King, said: 'A general atmosphere of impunity is established in today’s society, in which there are competitions to break the law, to corrupt and allow ourselves to be corrupted, with the justification that ‘everyone does it.’ Is not this, in a certain  sense, the situation in which we all live? One after the other, the commandments of God are calmly broken, including the ones that say, ‘Thou shall not kill,’ ‘Thou shall not steal,’ ‘Thou shall not commit adultery,’ with the pretext that ‘everyone does it,’ that culture, progress and even human law now allow it. But God has never thought of abolishing the commandments or the Gospel, and this general feeling of security is no more than a fatal deception.'"

Lay apostles, who do you admire? They may be incredibly talented people within their field, but how do they conduct themselves in reality? Are they choosing drugs and alcohol or Christ? Are they using their fame to further His Kingdom or are they making it cool to live a Godless life? I used to give my oldest daughter a hard time about certain actors she refused to spend a dime on at the movie theater because of their liberal political views. I'm thinking she is on to something . . .

Thank you, Lord, for continually showing me unless I'm doing everything for Your Glory, it is not worth doing. 

God bless,

Bonnie