It’s now been a little over four months since I made the giant move from Missouri to LA. Any midwestern kid that spends all their time in the midwest would tell you the same thing… LA? That definitely means you’re going somewhere. My friends want to know if I’ve met anyone famous. They want to know who I’ve met and who I’ve seen. The other day, as I stopped by the Golden Globes, I witnessed herds of people gathering as cows along a fence in a storm to see all the stars as they drove into the event. Screaming, crying, fainting… These hopeless people would have given anything to see these stars.
Of course, being the overly-analytical man that I am, I couldn’t help but think… What is it that these people want? As a follower of Christ, I can’t help but question what the people are so desperate to see. What makes them cry? What makes them scream? What makes them faint? And I wonder how many church-goers would be crying, screaming and fainting. So what makes people so desperate just to see these stars? And it makes me wonder what more God has to do to prove His worthiness… What more does God have to do to be worthy enough of THAT kind of praise? Did not the God who created the Heavens and the Earth create you and me and everyone who was invited to attend this awards ceremony in Beverly Hills?
I wonder what more the church must be promised, and what more it should receive, to claim Christ as worthy of being someone we are desperate for. Why doesn’t He make us cry? Why doesn’t He make us scream when His presence fills the room? Why do we sing songs about how we cannot stand before the presence of God, all while we are standing? Then we have the audacity to end the song explaining to our congregation that His presence is among us… So… is He actually among us? If no, why do we sing about Him? If yes, why should we continue to stand? Do you believe in the God-figure of Christ? Is He worth being desperate for?
How should we fix our hearts and eyes? What must we do to pursue Jesus Christ with this type of desperation? If the people in California are willing to scream, cry and faint over an Audi S5 which MIGHT be carrying a celebrity, how much more desperate should they be for Jesus? Does our message reflect the Glory of God? Or does our message simply reflect our own Glory because of something God did? Is Jesus a mutual friend, or is He your BEST friend? Is He a strategic member of your testimony, or is He your testimony? What makes Jesus Christ more glorious than all the stars in Hollywood?
I’d love to hear feedback from all of my friends on this one… Followers of Christ, and those who do not follow Christ alike! Thanks, friends! Love you all!
Mason Singer 