My cousin is the first runner up for 2006 Miss America, and she does it for several reasons, none of which include preening and prancing around in a bathing suit. She does it to win scholarship money for college, promote the charity that she is involved in, and to showcase her talent of playing the piano.

I found this comment in your entry "...I met true heroes," rather condeming in a way I don't see precedent for in the Bible.
Sarah Cool | Homepage | 02.20.06 - 11:28 am | #

Thanks, that's a really timely reminder. I've been watching the Olympics too much. And even if among the athletes there are" true heroes" I think obsessing about is not healthy.
Daniel Gilman | 02.20.06 - 12:13 pm | #

Thank you for reminding us of where true heroism lies!
Vevy | 02.20.06 - 12:49 pm | #

Thank you for the encouragement again in scripture memorization. I lost some steam last week, but I am going to keep memorizing! Also, thank you for your post on memorization. I have for a long time thought about and known I should be memorizing long passages of scripture - and your encouragement has prompted me to stop waiting for "later" and to begin. :)
Grace | 02.20.06 - 2:29 pm | #

Very interesting post. I've often wondered how people become famous for hefting rubber spheres into metal rings. True heroes are the work-a-day people you never hear about. My pastor uses the metaphor of the engine room of a luxury liner; nothing would run at all if it weren't for the sweaty, dirty men in the engine room, but they don't get any attention at all.
A fellow soldier | 02.20.06 - 2:45 pm | #

I see your point Brett, but who says athletes can't be heros? Think about it, those olympians have been training for years just to represent their country on the world's stage. Whats the point of the olympics? Whats the point of the miss world pagent?
Its not about self golorification, its about representing your country. Its like being a diplomat.
Not only in the way they compete, but in the way they act.
Seth | Homepage | 02.20.06 - 5:12 pm | #

Seth: I'm not sure you understand my point. I was not condemning Olympic athletes as unheroic. I appreciate their talent and skill. I appreciate the job they do in representing their countries. I made that very obvious in my post.

My concern is that my generation dreams of celebrity status for being the most beautiful or the most talented, and cares nothing for the life-callings that require them to be the most faithful, and the servants of all.

It is always a question of comparative worth. Celebrity status is not without value, especially if one uses it for God's glory. My concern is that we don't allow our longing for the recognition of man to outshadow our calling to perform for the audience of One.
Brett Harris | Homepage | 02.20.06 - 6:59 pm | #

Excellent post! We can appreciate the God-given skills the Olympic athletes, baseball players, and record-holders have, but they are not real heroes, in the correct sense of the word.
MVB | Homepage | 02.20.06 - 8:13 pm | #

And a good point that is. But still, these people are difference makers too. In America, everyone has a voice, everyone has a chance to make an impact. Even cup stackers.
Seth | Homepage | 02.20.06 - 11:23 pm | #

I'd like to bring your attention to Queen Esther, who in all respects competed in a beauty pageant to become queen to a pagan king. And yet God was able to use her, and she, you might agree, become a true hero.

I was upset with this entry because of what seems to me uses a demeaning tone. Who is to judge which people are worthy of making an impact, worthy of being looked at as a leader, and most importantly, worthy of God using?

God chooses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Cor 1:27)

I would be careful in using your position as a writer, a writer whom I'm positive many students read regularly, to uplift, rather than put down certain groups of people. In my time this morning, what came to my heart concerning this situation was a prayer for humbleness - to realize that each of us were put here for a reason - and yes, beauty queens and rock stars and Olympic athletes, are all are capable of using their position of what one might term "shallow celebrity" for the greater good of God's kingdom.
Sarah Cool | Homepage | 02.21.06 - 6:09 am | #

Thank you for that reminder of the "silliness" of life. I enjoy your posts and find encouragement for the Christian life in them. I am realizing in my life the importance of being 100% for God and that He desires nothing less.

As I was thinking about your post, I started wondering why it was that we all compete...or what is it that makes competition so important in the lives of humans. My conclusion is that people enjoy making themselves better than others and enjoy being the "top dog." When we as Christians view this in light of Scripture, we understand that we depraved hungering sinners. Although we strive we continually fall short of true glory. When we praise people for their achievements, our praise should be so much greater for the One who has done so much more than any human ever could. He is so worthy! It gives us all the more reason to worship Him who has done it all. It kind of dampens the spirits of those who strive but adds wood to the fire of the true worshipper. It is sad in the end to realize that without Christ, even the gold medal winners will not find true joy. They are enjoyable to watch though...even the "Grandma Luge."

Thanks for the Reminder
Josh | Homepage | 02.21.06 - 7:44 am | #

Sarah, interesting allusion to Queen Esther, who has always been one of my personal "heroes" :)

I would submit that many winners of beauty-oriented scholarship competitions/pageants for young women HAVE done extraordinary things with the platforms which they earned through the discipline and training which preceeded their pageant victories.

My own mother, a former model, recently hosted an enormous convention for women, at which the keynote speaker was Ms. Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995, the first young woman to win the competition with a serious disability- total hearing impairment- and she is a committed Christian. Her message has not only helped to spread the Gospel, but has provided tremendous encouragement for young people persevering through disabilities. Anyone who doubts the "seriousness" and worth of her enterprise should read her book.

Pat Robertson's co-host on the 700 Club, Mrs. Terry Dorian, was Miss America in 1979. She uses her title when she ministers to women in South African prisons each summer.

And a friend, Ms. Lynette Cole, Miss USA 2000 and a runner-up in Miss Universe the following year, has done more for networking and fundraising on behalf of adoption for needy children in this country than anyone Ive ever known.

Perhaps there are other "trivialities" which are more worthy of Rebelution time...?
MM | Homepage | 02.21.06 - 7:50 am | #

Thank you for the post, but I read a very interesting article yesterday titled, "Loving Christ While I Cheer for the Yankees" and it touched on some major points about being a Christian and still following (for example) sports. The main point of the article (and I heartily agree with it) is thus: "But the answer is not to keep away from sports. Rather, it is to 'take sports captive and make them obedient to Christ.'" The article is here: http://www.byfaithonline.com/ par...2172430,00.html. I do believe that sports players can do what they do for God and give Him glory that way. And thank you again.
Emily | Homepage | 02.21.06 - 8:08 am | #

It's unfortunate to see false dichotomies, and generally tired rhetoric, still finding a pulse in modern Christendom. The sacred/secular split that is set forth here, with things like nursing on the sacred side, is poor at best. Using our God given gifts, whatever they may be, is the best thing we can do for God no matter how "trivial" some try to make them seem. Altogether a poor attempt at pretending that only certain things are "adult" while others are "trivial".
Joe Greene | Homepage | 02.21.06 - 8:42 am | #

This is a grating article. I liked it. It was well written, and it had pictures. :-)

I have a few questions: what defines a "lesser profession"? What makes something beam with "the steady, shining glory of heroism" compared with the "glaring, flashing glamour of celebrity"? What defines what is worthwhile and what's not?

And one more - can we get along without the cherries? I'm not sure if you meant it, but it sounded like everyone should be "making the ice cream" so-to-speak. Is that what you meant?

(BTW, I really liked your Jane Austen ad for your conference! :-)
Jane Eyre | 02.21.06 - 10:03 am | #

It seems to me that the main point of this post is not to cast judgement on these professions, but to question who we are establishing as our role models. Many celebrities are celebrated because they are famous, beautiful, and/or athletic, but are those the qualities that we should aspire to? Do these qualities make these celebrities the kind of people that we should glorify?
-True heroes are people who, in spite of adversity, have done not only "hard things" but the right things.
-The things they have done are not always witnessed by huge audiences, but true heroes continue without applause.
-True heroes follow after the greatest Hero of all, who never sought to walk a red carpet or stand in the spotlight, but instead could be found washing His disciple's feet.
Hannah Beth | Homepage | 02.21.06 - 12:16 pm | #

After reading the article and comment, I would say that the whole crux of it goes back to the heart and motives. What are these "celebs" trying to accomplish and what is the status of their hearts going into it? Are beauty contestants participating soley for the sake of scholarship money and advancing their causes or is there an underlying motive of feeling good about themselves, if only for a moment. As for the former, are money and causes always admirable and appropriate anyway?

The bottom line is that there are always going to be "celebs" admired by the masses, but we have to choose our own "celeb" to admire. I'd much rather admire my grandmother or best friend teaching in China anyday over the champion cup spinner anyday. (Where do they come up with this stuff?)

God tells us to think on things "true, noble, right, pure... (Philip. 4:8) and that's the most important thing to me. What has God promised to be true? He has promised that the things of this world will pass away, so why am I consumed with the fleshly things in front of me? We are fed lies daily and we need to ascertain the truth. Obviously, we don't know the personal motives and hearts of "celebs," but we do know our motives and hearts when we admire them and support them. That still, small voice inside of us will guide us. We just need to listen...
Jennifer Folmar | 02.21.06 - 2:41 pm | #

Well, it sounds like Brett touched many people's nerves in this post. Now everyone wants to shoot the messenger. There are some things in life that ARE trivialities and we all know it. Idolatry abounds to the point that there's even a tv show devoted to creating them. The Bible has more to say on Christian's affections in this life than most care to recognize.

Since when did it become okay for Christian women to show off their bodies, and claim they did it for God's glory?

Since when did it become okay for Christians to give inordinate amount of attention to athletes to the neglect of studying what the Bible says, or what great patriarchs of the faith (puritans, martyrs, etc.) wrote?

When I stand before God, if the only "talent" I had ever used for His glory was dribbling a ball down a court, or parading my body in front of strangers, I would be ashamed. Those things are trivial. Saving babies lives, rescuing people from burning buildings and training up a houseful of children are NOT trivial and should be praised just as much or more than these celebrities.
Kathleen Felmey | Homepage | 02.22.06 - 12:51 pm | #