By Steve

Because Monday got away...a Tuesday entry.
There is something about the ongoing Britney Spears saga that wont leave me alone. It has become obvious that we cannot leave her alone, her story is told in every media medium I turn to these days. It bothers me that we are so fascinated with one persons life...and how a spiraling towards becoming the next Kurt Cobain or Anna Nicole Smith creates such intrigue in us. Why are we fascinated with watching someone crumble? And what if she is to commit suicide, not a far fetched speculation in my opinion. Would our fascination with her story need to be repented of? Could it be that our fascination, causing viewer ratings to soar and magazine sales to sky rocket...compel such gossip folk to push and expose even further. And could this push drive one person (a one such Ms. Spears) even closer and faster to total destruction? Could our celebrity fascination cause celebrity meltdown? Or at least aid it?

What if your life was so exposed?

While my heart breaks for Britney these days (and I plead with you to pray for her with me), the thing that wont leave me alone is how similar her story is to mine and I suggest yours too. Ours just don't show up on TV.

Think about it.

All of your life being photographed and written about. Drinking a coffee. Gaining 5 pounds. A dating break up. An argument with a friend or sibling or parent or boss. A drive with your child. A vacation. An early morning walk from your home to the curb to pick up the paper or take out the trash.

And not only pictures, but stories...stories of speculation, and lies and sometimes truth. Perhaps for a while I would work very hard to always come across like I had it together. Always looking and acting and performing my best. But after some time, I'm sure I would begin to believe it was not worth it. It would be tiring. It would not be genuine. I hear often today that people long for authenticity and are offended by judgementalism. Maybe it is more accurate to say that I want to be authentic and I don't want to be judged...but you be how you want and I'll probably judge you.

If all of my life were on display for all to see and read about...I would be a wreck too. Truth is, I (we) probably am/are a wreck to some degree and are not willing to expose (and thankful noone is prying) more trajic portions of our life.

Enter God. Enter the church.

So what if we could be exposed? Authentic. And could be certain that we would not be judged. And what it brought was not a path toward destruction that fascinated, but healing and wholeness. It may not make the paparazzi rich, but it would be worth talking about.