By Ashlie Miller

Being a fan of anything is an intriguing thought — the idea that we have an innate desire to esteem or glorify someone or something — to put someone on a pedestal, if you will. Last week was a moment of obvious illustration — sports enthusiasts excited for the big game, music fans anticipating halftime and celebrity worshipers waiting to catch a glimpse of him or her. We may not like to equate fanaticism as the same as worshiping something earthly, temporal, or worldly, yet worship it is. 

Elevating other earthlings as somehow untouchables worthy of so much awe inevitably leads to a letdown. There is no true reciprocity in this dynamic. Yet, we tend to be quite forgiving and understanding when the celebrity we follow makes horrible decisions or even, in some instances, moral failures. “They are just merely human, after all,” or “They are just like us!” we say to justify our continued obsessive followings. 

In the book of Job in the Bible, which I revisited last month, Job is called a “righteous man” at the beginning of the book. However, by the end, after trial upon trial and horrible counsel that lacked empathy from friends (and that is putting it nicely), Job is set straight by God for failing to understand God or demonstrating knowledge of His ways. It is a rebuke wrapped in love and followed by great blessing and restoration. Though Job was righteous, he was not perfect.

We often mistake the righteous for the perfect, don’t we? Many distance themselves from the thought of attending church or becoming a Christian because “there are too many hypocrites.” This may partly contribute to the fastest-growing religious group in our country — the Nones (non-religious). I wonder why we assume that Christians are perfect while on this earth. Christians come from the position of knowing they are not perfect and need a Savior, after all. 

As Christians, we often find it easier to remember to pray for those who are constantly struggling but neglect praying for those viewed as righteous. We can hold those in church leadership on pedestals, giving them esteem and glory, assuming they do not need our prayers and attentive listening and discernment. When they do offer advice that reveals their limits of understanding God and His ways, we find ourselves in shock and disbelief, ready to “throw out the baby with the bathwater.” But righteousness does not equal perfection. Listen to a wicked man long enough; you will eventually hear something true or good. Yet, a wise man would not go on listening to him. Listen to a good man long enough, and you will eventually hear something wrong. Should a wise man immediately discount everything the good man says or has said? Maybe the other question is, to whom am I giving my attention and affection? How am I praying for those I value as righteous and worth listening to?

Much of our attention today as both Christians and Nones seems to be focused on celebrity culture — jumping to defend or hate a particular celebrity. Either way, it is a lot of attention, affection and worship. I think Christians’ time would be better spent praying for our ordinary, righteous leaders than fixating on this world’s celebrity-obsessed culture. One can help us grow in understanding and love, while the other is merely consumer-driven affection.

Ashlie Miller is a pastor’s wife to Chad. They parent their five children in Concord. You may contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.