She’s “got it all together.”
How do you know she’s got it all together? Her Instagram feed is like magazine quality. Photo after photo shows the perfect smile, sparkling house and, thanks to the carefully chosen photo preset, a completely cohesive color scheme. Her follower count sits at just over 2 million, and it appears that everything she touches turns to gold.
You know the kind of woman I’m talking about. She could have achieved her notoriety in a number of ways ranging from having a famous parent, starring on reality TV, taking pretty pictures or singing and acting well.
Perhaps she has loads of natural talent. Perhaps her only known “talent” is the way she looks when the light hits her face in that perfect, practiced way. I’m not saying she doesn’t have other talents… they just haven’t been of use in her climb to the peaks of social and cultural notoriety.
When anything major happens (or, anything at all, really), her following demands her insight and opinion. Why? Well, because she’s famous, of course. That automatically makes her wise. A living legend. It makes her thoughts more valuable than our own. Because she’s got it all together.. Or does she?
The Voices of the “Elite”
Early in 2020, a virus soared across the globe. I don’t know… maybe you heard about that. At the beginning, our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on famous Canadians Ryan Reynolds and Michael Buble to encourage the population to stay home and stay safe. Why? Because he knows that celebrity voices and opinions (even comedic actors and singers) are weighed more heavily than even medical professionals. You know… Because they have it all together. Or do they?
Honestly, maybe they do. Maybe they are super high-functioning human beings. Not perfect, of course, they are still human, after all. What I’m saying is that I’m not here to critique celebrities. For all I know, they’re doing great. What I am trying to do is critique the mindset of a culture. The mindset that elevates voices simply because the person takes a nice photo or has gained a following.
Do we really believe these people have the “secret sauce”? That they’re invincible? Larger than life?
Do we take the time to truly critique what the voices we so value are actually saying? Are they speaking truth? Popular opinion? Or, are they saying whatever keeps the lights and cameras aimed in their direction?
Which Words Truly Hold Value?
Ecclesiastes 1:4 says, “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” The celebrity voices of the past are dead and buried. The celebrity voices of today are marching toward the grave, and the celebrity voices of tomorrow face the same fate. As do you and I.
So what has value? What has meaning? Where do we find objective truth to anchor ourselves? Certainly not in anyone who finds the grave and has no power to leave it.
The only answer is in the one who met the grave and defeated it. The one who was before the earth. Who walked the earth. The one who roars like a lion and conquers as a lamb. The one who, by his power and grace, offers to release us from the grave.
Next time you’re looking for a voice to shed truth and meaning on the tragedy and beauty of this life, look to the author of life. Jesus Christ. Look to his word; call on his name. Only after you do that should you look for other voices that affirm the truth of Jesus. Because it is only in him, that you find objective truth, wisdom, meaning, and the life you were made for.
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