It seems like everywhere you turn lately, people are getting thrown into the spotlight for things that aren’t very flattering. From the genuine frustration of a tennis star to the [possibly] staged interruptions of a rapper, celebrities are grabbing our attention.
And while there are already far too many blogs written about how stars should behave, I want to turn that light on us.
Follow me on this – we so often hold up the overwhelmingly bad examples of the people in the world who are famous for entertaining us. Whether it’s a singer, athlete, or politician – we’ve been let down a lot.
So here’s my question: Where are all the Catholics? It seems like we’re so desperate to find anyone moral amongst celebrities we’re happy just to find someone semi-moral. “Do you stay home at night and avoid the clubs? Have you avoided running in to the police in the last year? Then we love you!”
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that’s enough. We’ve already heard for years the idea that there aren’t any role models among our celebs, but I propose something different. Could it be that the God who made all of us, the Divine Mover who gave us each gifts and talents, is calling some of us to be the best singers / dancers / musicians in the world?
We can sometimes think that if we love God, we have to serve in the Church. The thing is (and I might get in trouble for saying this) we need faithful, active Catholics as much outside the walls of the Church as we do inside. When I say “outside,” I don’t mean running off into heresy; I mean working in real-world fields. From science to speechwriting, from teaching in the classrooms of a kindergarten to working with plants in an Earthen garden… God is ready to use your gifts and talents in a unique way.
Take some time this week to pray about what God has in store for you. (I say that like you’re not already.) For some of you, that will mean working as a youth minister – or joining the Church as a priest or nun. For others, God just might want you out there in the battlefield of the secular world – just imagine the statement you could make up on that awards stage.
