I was reading an article about the new recording project by Brittany Spears. I am not a fan, but interested in the phenomena of young celebrities who struggle with the extreme pressure of fame and fortune. Brittany, Lindsey, Miley, and Christina’s lifestyles indicate that the pressure of celebrity is more than a person can or should handle.
When I hear a television host or hostess say something like, “Isn’t it terrible what this or that celebrity has done to ruin their lives?” I want to shout, “But you are part of the ruination!” What the media does to young celebrities is shameful. Surely we have seen what the machine is doing to Sarah Palin’s daughters. Detestable.
Back to the article to which I am referring. Www.popeater.com had an interesting comment about Brittany Spears that causes me to reflect during my Lenten fasting and prayer season.
“Left to her own devices, free of the handlers who took a pretty teenage girl, turned her into the biggest pop star in the world, then forgot to care about the human being inside the machine when she buckled under the pressure of perfection, Spears unleashed her best work.”
POWERFUL! Listen to the poignant words, “then forgot to care about the human being inside the machine…”
There is a human being inside that flight attendant, driver, and basketball officiant. Celebrities, like all of us, are at the core deeply human. All that whining about your boss is a reminder that you have forgotten the she is not a machine, but a person. Lebron, Brett, and Brittany are all human beings with feelings and emotions. That pastor and Christian ministry you can’t stand are not soul-less machines designed to take a pounding. They are people.
Jesus is a people too. He was born a baby, not a robot. Unlike machines He has feelings and emotions. He laughs, cries, and can be delighted and disappointed.
“Lord Jesus, please forgive us for treating you, the Church you love, and the ministers you have chosen, as inanimate machines.”