On a Pedistal

“But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?” –James 2:6-7

Do you remember when corporate scandals used to be an oddity rather than the norm? Most of us who remember the name Enron associate it only with the scandal. Most people may not even be able to tell you that Enron was in the natural gas industry. What is sad is that the people who paid most dearly for those scandals were the common workers, who lost most of their retirement, not to mention their jobs because a few people in high offices were padding their own wealth and security.

James mentions here that it is not just a financial issue. In their culture, many of the rich were the first ones to insult and persecute Christians. It isn’t just the rich in our culture. It certainly includes the powerful and the famous as well. But often it is the people who we hold in the highest of esteem that are the most oppressive towards Christianity. Think about the stances of most of Hollywood, which has become increasingly antagonistic towards biblical Christianity. And yet we continue to pad their wallets and defend them.

Are we putting the rich and famous on a pedestal in our lives? Do we glamorize Hollywood and any other sector of the entertainment industry (or in my case, professional athletes) to the point where we neglect those who are less privileged? Think about the shows you watch, the people whom you listen to, the magazines that you read and ask yourself whether they are having a positive effect in your relationship with Christ. If not, we ought to drop them.

I must clarify-I never have been one for Christian boycotts. I have a lot more important battles to fight than that. But I do believe that we each need to make conscientious decisions about what we ingest and the message that it is portraying. How aware are you of the message that is portrayed through much of what we support through entertainment?