You’re Not Famous Yet? by Ruth Kerr
It could be argued that if you haven’t been famous yet, you’re not trying very hard.
Fame’s the Name of the Game
My only brush with fame was when I worked at a local television station in our city. It was a boring desk job; I never interviewed movie stars or professional athletes.
But I worked with people who did, and sometimes these people behaved like the celebrities they interviewed. They put hairspray on their expense accounts. They jumped the line at the cafeteria. They rolled their eyes if you couldn’t answer their questions.
The message was clear: A Celebrity Is Important.
This is not to say all television employees had super-size egos; some were easy-going, down-to-earth people. One person was actually kind of inspiring.
Something About Betty
Betty was a stocky, middle-aged woman who worked in the cafeteria. She washed dishes, filled coffee urns and cleaned tables. She was probably the lowest-paid employee and was treated like a servant.
Betty was not an educated woman but she wasn’t stupid. She knew her “place” at the station. Yet that did not change her attitude or her actions. She was still determined to help others to the best of her ability.
She didn’t seem to complain about her co-workers. She would ask a cameraman if his cold was better and wouldn’t flinch at his curt response. She would shake her head good-naturedly if someone demanded a larger piece of cake and run to help someone who spilled his coffee.
Even though Betty would never be famous, or even appreciated, she still loved and served those around her.
Are Celebrities More Valuable?
Our society sends conflicting messages. We say we value people like Betty but we don’t really give them the respect they deserve. By contrast, we treat celebrities with undue reverence.
This is not to say that famous people are bad people; many celebrities lend their talents to worthy causes. However, as much as our society likes those who are kind and hardworking, we adore those who are famous. We worship someone just because they were in a movie or on a magazine.
Why do we insist a celebrity is more worthy than someone who cleans tables in a cafeteria?
“I’m Not Like Everyone Else!”
A famous young actress allegedly snapped at one of her assistants, “Don’t talk to me like I’m some kind of normal person!” In a way, she is right. Because she is famous, she is not a normal person. We have set celebrities apart from the rest of us and we are not surprised to hear stories about their behavior: trashing hotel rooms; bringing large entourages to a simple photo shoot; verbally abusing restaurant staff.
If we knew “regular” people who behaved this way we would avoid them. We would wonder who they thought they were, to act in such a manner. But we’ve come to expect it of celebrities.
Fame in itself isn’t wrong, it’s everything that comes with it: the self-adulation, the self-importance the self-centeredness. Too often fame leads a person to glorify self, not others. Rare is the person who can keep a balanced perspective when everyone around them has been hired to look after their every need or feed flattering stories to the media.
What is Fame Worth?
King Solomon, an A-list celebrity in his day, had a rather dim view of fame and fortune: “I undertook great projects…. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me…Yet, when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:4-11).
Was Solomon right? Quick—who was the highest-paid actress in 2004? Who hit the most runs in the 2002 World Series? Who had the #1 album four months ago?
You may not remember, but here are some people you’ll never forget: a teacher who inspired you; a friend who comforted you; a relative who spent a memorable day with you.
The people who touch your life are people who want to invest in you. A celebrity in a movie can make you forget your problems for a few hours but he or she can’t give you anything lasting. A friend or relative can. And if they can make a difference, how much more can your heavenly Father who created you with loving care?
As dazzling as the trappings of fame seem, God is offering you something far greater. He has prepared an eternal reward more glorious than anything we can imagine on earth (1 Corinthians 2:9), and certainly far better than 15 minutes of media scrutiny. Let us strive to value the Bettys of this world and to reflect the selfless love of God.
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