Once again the news stories that seem to get the most attention in the culture is surrounded around a celebrity. There is always so much attention paid to when a celebrity falls even though what they did is all to common. Attention is also paid to those who are famous for basically being famous. Those from a prominent family with lots of money who make fools of themselves in their lack of restraint. A culture that worships fame and money seems to take some pleasure when they fall. A sort of smug attitude is easy to develop to think “Hey if I had that much money or was so famous, I wouldn’t make those mistakes and would enjoy having it.” We wonder how they can squander their “good luck” and to end up causing scandal. Surely with enough money we would be content.
To paraphrase the Prophet Samuel when relating a story to King David. “We are that man.” Which one of us has not squandered the gifts given to us from God. That have not prepared ourselves for the grace He would surely give us if we were open to it. As Catholics how much do we really do as individuals to both prepare ourselves for and to avail ourselves of the sacraments. We go to Mass distracted and remain so even as Calvary unfolds before us and the wonder and mystery of the Eucharist presents itself to us. We hardly pray or fast and then wonder why God has not made saints of us yet. We have the Pearl of Great Price and still try to fill our lives with what will never fulfill us. But hey it’s much easier to ding on the latest celebrity scandal then see our own sins and how far we have fallen from the mark. in fact it is much easier to write a blog post on this then to take my own advice.
5 comments
“n fact it is much easier to write a blog post on this then to take my own advice.”
LOL
The late Walt Kelly’s Pogo explained it this way:
“We have met the enemy and he is us.”
That applies whether one is rich, famous, or just a struggling Christian.
Best post I’ve read on this topic to date. Thanks, Jeff. I agree fully, but would add that we should pray especially for those publicly celebrated, because the temptations for public figures, especially athletes, are strong and abundant.
There is a local deacon/former soccer star here who bears strong witness to this, and he hadn’t near the fame as many. He left that life precisely because he could see his future downfall and the destruction of his marriage and family if he had remained in pro soccer.
If I find a written testimonial from him, I’ll pass it on. There are many thorn in them thar roses.
Grace/blessings come through trials, which although we should expect and embrace them, nevertheless, are sometimes, for me always, quite difficult to work through, particularly when they are open ended or likely to never end.
To see others fail yields a strange comfort particularly when “they” apparently have it so easy, as it distracts us if only for a moment. But it also presents us with the chance to pray for another, who like us, has their own trial(s).
Thoughtful post. Thank you.
As a child, I could never understand why children who received such lavish gifts from lenient parents exhibited worse behavior than the rest of us. I always thought that if I had parents who were more lenient, I’d be oh-so-grateful and better behaved. It seemed like such an inexplicable co-incidence.
When I became a parent I realized that the leniency which tolerates and provides opportunity for bad behavior encourages the bad behavior. I begin to think that this principle which everyone sees at work in children also works with adults.
A woman from an unnamed culture said “we spoil our men rotten – which is why they hold on to us so dearly”. But while I agree with the first part, I’m not so sure of the second. A woman from the same culture which spoils men rotten once asked “is it inevitable that a man will commit adultery once he becomes financially well established?”
Perhaps those who are rich and famous experience greater temptation than the rest of us for similar reason. As such, the fallen celebrities may have already displayed greater virtue (when considering the circumstances) before their fall than the rest of us will ever display in our entire lives.