Learning from Yom Kippur
2 years ago
...waitaminute... hasn't one of them already been in rehab? Or am I confusing them with Lindsay and Britney? Wow, I think I might just have to go into intensive non-fiction-reading, documentary-watching, oolong-tea drinking therapy myself after admitting that I actually know about this. Of course, it's hard not to when these are the prominent headlines I see as I log onto my webmail.Even when you actively try to shelter yourself from knowing more about these child-stars than you do your own family, those darn headlines sneak in from out of nowhere! I could go on a rant about how the "popular" media feeds us trivial "news that should not be news" when there are urgent stories out there about horrific human suffering that should command our attention, but well, I'm going to go for a different angle. I'm not going to rant at all, in fact. No, really!
To be honest, I kind of feel sorry for these gals. They were thrust into an adult world long before they reached adolescence, let alone adulthood. So in that sense, it's no wonder they are hurting and struggling as much as they are. Their sense of worth very early on was not centered around their dignity, but their ability to perform, to be desireable, and to bring home the bacon in some of their cases. It's the age old question about child stars - does that kind of exposure predispose them to a life that is less than virtuous? In an industry that certainly tends to promote dispensibility and living in the moment, is it any wonder that these kids get caught up in the tide?
Now, before you go thinking that I'm just a big softie, trust me, there are rants just dying to come out. Yet, as I begin to even think about letting them loose, I realize that if I do so, I become a part of the problem. The reason I am given the opportunity to judge these girls is that they happen to be on camera. It could just as easily be a friend or a loved one in trouble. The fact is that it shouldn't matter who it is - my first reaction should not be arrogant judgment.
Ideally, my first inclination should be to pray about how I can contribute to the solution. What can I do that will make a difference or make it easier for someone to recognize their worth beyond what a camera or screen tells them it should be? Granted, I can't sit down with Britney or the Olsen girls, but I can be actively involved in the lives of those around me. I can be sure that I affirm the beauty and dignity of their lives, that I reflect the love God has for each and every one of them. Most importantly, stories like these should, and do, make me examine how I live my own life. It's not a life lived without reproach, so pray for me as I pray for you, that every day might be one step closer to becoming who we are meant to be in the eyes of God. And don't forget to share that light of Christ in you - you never know who may need exactly the spark you've been given. Share it willingly, and share it often!
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