Andy Warhol once said that everyone in America would get fifteen minutes of fame. If he’s right I dread that day. I dread it because I don’t believe any of us are wired to endured it, at least not in our judgmental judgment-less culture.
Remember Ken Bone? He was the quirky guy in a Mr. Rogers sweater who got his fifteen minutes during the presidential debates. He was everybody’s hero. Then it was uncovered that he had some strange fetishes and an unpopular opinion about the Trayvon Martin case. Superman lost his cape.
Enter Keaton Jones. Our latest hero. An eleven year old boy who was the victim of bullying at school. Everybody hates bullies and so it wasn’t surprising that once this went viral celebrities would give wide support to young Keaton. Then it was uncovered that his mother might have been a money-grubbing racist and Keaton himself once had a photo of him holding a Confederate flag. And it was possible that the reason for his bullying was because of racist comments. Innocent victim and national hero no more.
I’m not making any comment on the truthfulness or morality of either Ken Bone or Keaton Jones and family. I am making a point that none of us can endure the spotlight of our culture. And I want to show why this is true. In doing so I will make the point that we are all sinners and much worse than even the most searching of journalist could uncover. But that’s not to minimize the sin that is uncovered. It’s wrong. Every bit of it.
So why is it that our fifteen minute heroes turn into lifelong villains? Why is it that one really dumb tweet has the capability of ruining Justine Sacco? I will argue it is not because our culture has abandoned a concept of grace but that we’ve abandoned any notion of judgment. We’ve abandoned the idea that there is a God who is just and who responds to sin with wrath. And as we’ve cast aside this cord of biblical truth it has caused us to unravel in unexpected places. The judgment-less culture has become more judgmental than ever.
It’s a simple principle really. Jesus spoke of this in Luke 7:47 when he said these words about a local prostitute:
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.
The truth of the gospel isn’t that we are basically good people and the world is just full of judgmental bullies who don’t know how to be nice to one another. Jesus didn’t come to show us how to play nice. Jesus came to endure the wrath of real sin made by real sinners, not foibles and follies and little missteps. As I noted earlier, we are much worse than any journalist could uncover. And if our lives cannot endure the scrutiny which comes from our fifteen minutes in the spotlight, what makes us think we will stand before the all-searching eye of an unflinchingly holy God?
But this is precisely the good news of the gospel. In Christ we do come out the other end of God’s judgment shining and spotless. This is not because of our worth or accomplishments but because Someone else has swallowed up our wrath and given to us a perfect record of righteousness. We are real sinners with a real Savior. We’ve escaped eternal death.
When we deny this truth our sin becomes smaller. And the smaller our sin the greater our lack of love for another. The more we try to escape the reality of the judgment of God the more we’ll end up being judgmental.
This all gives me hope because it provides a wonderful bridge to the gospel. Our cultures house of cards is collapsing and our idols of mere nicety are being exposed for the shams that they are. I’m saddened that this leaves such brokenness and a million Keaton Jones’. But I’ve also seen countless times how Jesus takes and makes beauty from ashes. It’s not surprising that the guy who broke social norms to be with and love those who were publicly shamed some 2000 years ago would still be doing this very thing through his followers today.
We’ve been forgiven much and we know it. We are in a better position than anyone else to provide the embrace our weary and crushed culture so desperately needs. May we use this opportunity to point to Jesus and his all-sufficiency.
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Photo source: here
