Celebrities and Their Causes
By Dennis Pollock
Celebrities are unique individuals. They find themselves constantly recognized wherever they go, and they discover that whenever they opine on any subject, regardless of whether it relates to their particular field or has nothing to do with it whatsoever, the press and the public are fascinated and eager to devour what they have to say.
From a Christian perspective, most celebrities, particularly those dwelling in that artificial world of Hollywood, do not live highly moral lives. Hollywood “stars” typically see nothing wrong with pre-marital sex or even extra-marital sex. And when they do get married, their marriage often has a shelf life of perhaps five years or less. They change spouses the way we ordinary folks change our shoes. They tend to be ultra-liberal politically, and utterly despise conservative Christians who fear God and live according to the standards of the Bible.
The Hollywood elite live what most consider to be charmed lives, with adoring fans and more money than they should ever need, at least if they lived like the rest of us. But of course, they do not live that way, and sometimes spend so extravagantly that they end up in trouble with the government for non-payment of taxes.
One suspects that many celebrities feel a little guilty for the lifestyles they lead and all the money that they make, working at jobs that pay them millions for pretending to be someone they are not. Often, in an attempt to justify their hedonistic lifestyles, they will latch onto a particular cause and pour tremendous energy into it. In many cases, the causes they choose are legitimate, such as ending the sex trade in poor countries or helping the families of 911 first responders who died serving others.
But while their causes are often just and reasonable, it seems clear that in many cases their vociferous efforts and protests are simply a band-aid upon a godless, prayerless, immoral life. Their indignation and demands make them feel a bit noble, a bit righteous, and useful in society, while still maintaining the lifestyle of an alley cat, and mocking Christianity as an outdated, primitive, bigoted religion.
We evangelical Christians have our causes as well, although we tend to look at them as callings more than causes. But above any cause we may champion, we know that our ultimate cause is honoring Jesus Christ through our lives in all that we do. And we know that there is no cause that can serve as an atonement for a godless lifestyle. Having a cause or a calling to one particular area is great when it is built upon a life of integrity and devotion to Christ. Through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, we can become highly effective in promoting righteousness and morality in our world.
Centuries ago, William Wilberforce was impressed by Christ to take up the cause of ending the slave trade in England and he worked tirelessly year after year for twenty years toward that end. By the end of that time, he had, nearly single-handedly changed the attitudes of his nation and his government. Finally, the Parliament voted almost unanimously to bring the horrible practice of buying, selling, and shipping slaves to a halt.
Wilberforce had chosen a worthy cause and had proven highly effective in bringing about a changed and much better society in Britain. But his cause was no band-aid upon a lawless, godless life. Wilberforce was a thoroughly upright, decent Christian man, who loved Jesus and not only talked the talk but walked the walk. May he be a lesson to all of us. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into your calling, but never lose sight of the Savior. Let your cause or causes be built upon the solid foundation of Jesus, the Rock of our salvation! His cause must be our defining cause, which is the redemption of men and women through faith in Jesus and belief in His death on the cross for the sins of the world, and His resurrection from the dead three days later. Here is a cause worth living for and worth dying for!
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