#bielebers

My husband and I just spent a few days in LA. We spent most of that trip looking at the ocean and avoiding the 405 by taking Ventura and Sepulveda instead. But on my last night in town, a friend invited me to church.

I’m not gunna get all eloquent and describe the theatre or service or the various ethnic backgrounds of the congregation.

That’s not the point. The point is that I didn’t know I was worshipping with Justin Bieber, and when I did notice, something changed.

Justin Bieber chose fame. He saw opportunities open up to him and kept walking through those doors instead of veering off toward another path. It’s brave for anyone to choose that and I feel hope and anxiety for anyone who does.

But he didn’t/couldn’t choose who admires him and why.

As the service came to a close, he ducked and quietly scurried toward the exit on the side behind the stage. Most people let him pass, but a few hands reached out toward him, fingers splayed and pleeding. They’d been waiting the whole night for this moment. This was what they were here for.

Justin graciously smiled and high-fived all the girls. He stooped in front of one of them and let her talk to him for a moment before disappearing behind the stage.

The girl Justin spoke to was frozen with delight after he left. Her smile was immeasurable.

I smiled, too, contemplative. Having just exited the praise and worship portion of the service, I couldn’t help but compare the reaching arms of that girl wanting Justin to the reaching arms of a congregation wanting God.

We have something inside us that longs to be noticed and appreciated by someone else, but not just anyone else; only someone who’s been seen and praised by almost everyone will do.

Why do we need that?

Because being told we’re acceptable and worthy is important. Because feeling wanted and acknowledged is key to being human.

And if those feelings are essential to our wellbeing, then there should be an inexhaustable source from which we can drink all the attention and affection we want.

Celebrities aren’t equipped to be those wellsprings.

And with some exception, celebrities don’t want you to place them in such a powerful position. They don’t want to be your boy scout badge, your coolness points, your trophy… and we shouldn’t expect that from them. It’s nice that Bieber smiled and gave high fives. It’s really nice that he paused to talk with one member. But he didn’t owe them that anymore than I owe some random stranger a high five or smile.