We live in a society that worships celebrities like gods. Where, at the drop of a hat, we are ready to defend them and fight anyone who doesn’t agree with them, and do just about anything for a photo, autograph, or a mention on social media. But we forget almost 100% of the time that they are just people – that the only difference between them and us is God’s purpose for their lives, privilege, exposure, opportunity, and that they live in the public eye. But why did I bring this up? I’m getting there.

A few weeks back I was talking to a coworker about celebrities, specifically singers and talent. During the conversation, he said two things that shocked me. The first thing he said was that there are some people that he believes God just gave more talent to. We’ve all seen that meme where that giant chunk of sugar falls out the bag right? Well, to analogize, if talent was sugar and God was the girl holding the bag and dispensed talent out of a bag, He intentionally gives some people, specifically celebrities, more than the rest of us “regular folk”. The second thing he said was that if you have a craft – be it singing, rapping, art, whatever it is, and you don’t reach the height of a celebrity, then that speaks to your talent or lack thereof.

It’s not my intention to make an example out of him but to illuminate that he is a product of a culture that worships celebrities and raises them to a high standard that deems them otherworldly, but there are ideas that this culture perpetuates that are just wrong.

First and foremost, God is no respecter of persons* (Acts 10:34). He didn’t give more of anything to any celebrity than He did to us. People like Chris Brown and Beyoncé’s talents may be more readily available, but it doesn’t mean they have more than anyone else. More importantly, we have to stop perpetuating the idea that gifts are only what you can see or showcase at open mics. The capacity to love is a gift from God because everyone isn’t capable of doing so, wisdom and kindness are gifts, and that’s just to name a couple. Those might not sound like much, or may not be revenue-inducing, but money isn’t everything. It doesn’t matter what you make or how many people know your name – that is not the mark of a person. Character, integrity, humility – those are. 

Secondly, the danger of worshipping celebrities, besides the fact that it displaces God, is that it disqualifies anyone who isn’t a celebrity. Contrary to popular belief, the power of your gift is not defined by whether or not you are popular or people know your name, but by the way you use your gift, especially if it is to help or liberate others. Some of the most impactful and inspiring people in our lives are not necessarily even celebrities, but people that God placed in our lives and within our reach. They have made great use of their skills and gifts

I want to end on this note: God created the universe, placed the stars in the sky, created day and night and a host of beautiful and unfathomable miracles. The same God that did all of that, created me and you. I don’t need to be known, to have fans or even to be liked to know that I am loved or that I, too, have gifts. I hope that you don’t either.