Can you believe that almost 10 years ago, Kayne West released the song Jesus Walks? This post is not exclusively about this song, but rather the use of the name of Jesus in Hollywood. I suppose the relatively recent news about Kayne and Kim's pregnancy got me thinking about how often celebrities use the name of Jesus in their own personal promotion. For example, the song Jesus Walks speaks about how Jesus is a part of Kayne West's life and goes with him wherever he goes. But if you look at the life of Kayne, is he really representing Jesus where he goes.
This is not to pick on Kayne West, because if I am truly honest with myself I would admit that I don't properly represent Christ wherever I go. If we truly proclaim Jesus as Lord, are we portraying Jesus for who He actually is? At the same time, not only are we supposed to represent Jesus where we go, if Jesus truly does walk with us, it would change who you are.
So, what does the song Jesus Walks and other celebrities proclaiming to love Jesus say about Jesus Himself? I think the most dangerous thing is that Jesus is someone handy to have in your corner as a character reference. Another, equally dangerous thing this says is that Jesus has no power to change a life. Again, this is equally true for celebrities and non-celebrities alike, they are just more viewable to everyone.
The next obvious question is, how do we redeem this? Is there any part of celebrities thanking Jesus in award acceptance speeches but living a life far from Him that can be used as an olive branch? There is something exciting about a viewable, influential person accepting Jesus and transforming their lives. Although Kayne West's life appears to be far away from Jesus, he could come to live a sold out life for Jesus and bring many others with him due to his influence.
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