Britney

Have you noticed how low our entertainment has gone? With the advent of "reality TV" and the like...it seems we love to watch the storms of people's lives...the destruction before our eyes...the train wrecks. Now actual storms can be cool to watch...even better is real trains "wrecking"...now that would be cool to watch...as long as no one got hurt or anything. Ya know, cool explosions... fire... train parts flying everywhere...now that would be cool to see...just make sure no people get hurt, OK? Maybe it could be a video game or something, hmmmm, I may be onto something here? Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't sell because we seem to enjoy the kind of train wrecks that hurt people...that ruin lives...that destroy? Now that's a weird cultural phenomenon don't you think? Our magazines and TV's are full of "gossip" as entertainment? The internet is full of gossip and rumours about anyone who is anybody...and the sad thing is we seem to enjoy it? We laugh at celebrities like Paris & Britney & Lindsey Lohan. We think its funny that football star Plaxico Burris shot himself in the leg at some strip club. We joke about Joaquin Phoenix acting so oddly wasted on David Letterman. Celebrity mug shots and rehab are featured news these days. It's become a form of entertainment. Now I'm not immune to laughing at some moron celebrity, politician or athlete making a fool of themselves publicly... yet, I have to admit, their is a tension in it. The tension is, as a follower of Jesus, should I be laughing at or joking about that celebrity going into rehab...or that politician caught in a sex scandal...or that athlete jailed for DUI? I realize there is this human tendency where we like seeing the rich, famous and powerful brought down to size. I guess somehow it makes us feel better about ourselves. We naively think "well I may not be a gazillionaire, but I'd never be so dumb as to do that...what an idiot." It's really a crass way to feel better about oneself...looking down on another...don't you think? Yet, that is often how we react isn't it? In concert recently, Bebo Norman shared frankly about this...and he wrote a song about it. He said he would sit with his friends bagging on Paris...and LiLo...and Britney...laughing at their stupidity and how they behaved...until the day he saw Britney Spears on a gurney, being loaded in an ambulance. In the background, were her children in tears...obviously scared to death. In that moment he realized that this "pop culture" cartoon image...was actually a real person. A confused, hurting and desperate person...being loaded into an ambulance. Her kids were real kids...like any other kids...afraid of what was wrong with mommy...will she die...will we ever see her again? In that moment Bebo said he felt the heart of God overtake his. He realized this woman he saw as some kind of cartoon character...was not that at all...she was a person Jesus loves...a person He died for...a person He was crying for, in that very same moment Bebo was laughing & mocking. That moment hit him hard. He wrote a song about that moment...to Britney, on behalf of himself, and those of us who have felt like Bebo did...it is a song...a prayer...an apology. The song is entitled, "Britney I'm Sorry". I found this YouTube clip from some dude who doesn't appear to be a follower of Jesus (based on his other videos?)...but it captures the spirit of Bebo's song so well...so I share it with you...

Perhaps like me, the spirit of the song will be an echo of God's heart to you, me and people like us...as we interact with the Britney's of the world. At ECHO, we know the world is full of Britney's...people like her are around our lives...unfortunately most of them are not noticed. Even worse, those that are noticed are often laughed at and mocked... not loved, not cared for, not protected (even from themselves) and not comforted in Godly compassion. Somehow I think Jesus and people expect more from His followers. I think Jesus would like us to learn to see beyond the surface to the troubled soul within...as He does.

be God's!

Brian O

Lead Pastor dude, ECHO