The Celebrity Cult

Although they are referred to simply by their first names, everyone knows who they are—Oprah, LeBron, Angelina, Bono, Beyonce, Tiger, Arnold (said with an accent), and many others. The world of technology has created a new religion of celebrity, and the worship is extensive.

I am certainly excited to spot such people in New York or LA; it’s fun to recognize someone seen on the big or little screen. So what’s wrong with that?

Learning from “Little Ron”

Last night at the World Series the Rangers had a special guest, Liam Roybal, the seven-year-old kid who impersonated Ron Washington for Halloween. He mirrored the appearance of the Texas Rangers’ skipper, even shaving the top of his head! He looked like a Mini Me Wash. The team invited him to be their special guest at the game and to take the microphone for the ceremonial “play ball” call.

So what do I learn from him? 

Little Ron’s great likeness to Big Ron was deliberate. It reminded me of Acts 11:26: “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” Apparently, the city recognized this group as followers Jesus. In contrast, today’s Christians are often known as unloving church-goers rather than Jesus look-alikes. How do we become intentional about looking like Jesus?