I have to admit I am not a fan of American Idol. I’ve never actually watched the show so the few details I’ve gleaned come from conversations I’ve overheard between my wife and daughter, Team Members, or from brief news clips. (Although, as an old Aerosmith fan, it did pique my interest to hear that Steven Tyler is a judge now). So the popularity of the show kind of blows me away. In its 10th season, it remains a top-rated show with approximately 25,000,000 weekly viewers. Apparently, everyone wants to be an idol or at least have a say in who will be.
My role with Cogun takes me to a number of conferences where I get to hear some of the best Christian communicators in the country. Through my work with Cogun and other initiatives, I’ve had the privilege to work with pastors, speakers, authors and thinkers that some people call “the rock stars” of the Christian world. They are gifted people, most of whom are far more humble and approachable than you might imagine. They have remarkable gifts that should be respected and they, themselves, should be honored for their work in the kingdom.
What concerns me is the posture of some of their followers who, at times, seem to idolize those in the spotlight to the point of deification. Before and after presentations, some followers push and maneuver to get a few minutes or even an autograph. They tend to accept every word as gospel and parrot phrases without understanding the substance. I especially see this among young church planters some of whom deny their own gifting in an attempt to emulate someone else’s style.
First of all, the ultimate rock star, the ultimate American Idol, must be Jesus. Secondly, the names of the vast majority of the other real American Idols of the church will never be known. These are the people to emulate:
- The single mom that finds time to minister to the other women in her neighborhood
- The teenager that struggles through the mocking of his own deformity to be a source of strength for others less fortunate
- The successful businessman that sold his house in the suburbs to move to the inner city to live among the people he was passionate about reaching
- The pastor that stepped out to authentically follow God in a way that was contrary to the desires of his big givers
- The empty nest couple that chose to live on 30% of their income so they could give the other 70% away
- The young professional that develops friendships while quietly serving meals to the disenfranchised
- The elderly couple that could never have children but devote their time to tutoring 3rd graders
- The graduate that works two jobs to be able to pastor a small urban church that couldn’t afford to pay him
Who are your American Idols?
If I know the name of most of the ones that are in your top 10, then you’re probably missing some of the best right around you.
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