I find it interesting people are drawn to celebrity and status. The chance to meet someone famous can motivate many to behave in ways they would not normally behave.
Why is this? Why are people so enamored by celebrity?
The answer varies, but we are all susceptible to being star struck by people we see as larger than life. From athletes and businesspeople, to artist, politicians and yes, in some cases pastors. We can be in awe of those who are held in esteem.
This is because we see things in these people we do not see ourselves.
Our adoration can affect our opinions and beliefs. If we are not careful, we can be influenced by prominent people to the point where we allow their views or opinions to become our own.
The idea of adoring or idolizing people we do not know or have never met shows the power of this perspective.
This is the “cult of personality”. It is revealed when we are moved by the power of a personality. This phenomenon is real and as serious as the word cult implies.
The irony is, this is just as grave for those being celebrated because they can lose themselves in the image that has been created. If they are not careful, they can be consumed by their own persona and infatuated by the fame notoriety can bring.
Here is where the “cult of personality” is its most dangerous.
You see, people are people regardless of the image they portray. As with us, people of note too are flawed. They deal with the same stresses and strains we all deal with. In fact, it may be even worse as they are exposed to the constant pull their status may bring.
Knowing this can help us refrain from giving into the tendency to see others or ourselves as more important than we are. This is crucial to our wellbeing and important to express to those in our sphere of influence.
There is nothing more detestable than someone who is prideful and arrogant. These traits are by-products of the “cult of personality” and can cause the fall from fame to be as sudden as the rise may have been.
So, in the future, rather than following a personality or being a personality, others follow what if we chose to reflect the personality of Christ?
If we do, we will find His is a personality that will not only change our lives, it will change the “cult of personality” by allowing us to see the person behind the facade!
Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
