artificial importance

Day 77

Last night as I was walking home from class, I passed a couple of the MU basketball stars on the sidewalk. These are the guys, who barring major injury or disaster, will make it to the NBA someday (and for one of them, possibly this fall). They may become stars there, too, or at the very least, solid players. Here at Marquette, they are the celebrities – people want to be near them, to know them, to be known by them.

It’s kind of weird (or not-so-weird), but I felt this fleeting need to talk to them, shake their hands, maybe ask for an autograph. After all, these are Important People, so if I’ve talked to them, I must be important by association. I can drop names, tell people I met so-and-so. My friends may be impressed. We are impressed by those to whom we assign this artificial importance – whole industries have cropped up to broadcast the minutae of the lives of celebrities. Indeed, they must be Important People.

However as I continued home in the twilight, I had to do some mental rearrangements, mainly dealing with that prickly sneak-up-on-you issue of idolatry.

I’m not denying that many people are very gifted – they may be athletic, beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, or amazing actors or musicians. It’s not wrong to appreciate and enjoy the talents of others. I do it every time I watch a baseball game or listen to the 5 Browns. Yet in reality, these people are not any better or any more important than I – an ordinary girl living an ordinary life – am. 

They are sinners in need of a Savior just as much as I am. Christ died for their sins, just as he died for mine. When they stand before God, it won’t matter how brilliantly they played the violin or portrayed a character in a movie or how many NBA championship rings they earned. Just as it is with me, all that will matter is who they trusted for eternal life – their works, or the One who finished the work.

And the fact that they were Important People here on earth will just go up in smoke.