Imagine. The President of the United States being a celebrity. He has the nation’s most recognizable face. Plenty of money and prestige. Whatever he says, goes. Media pundits blush like flustered school girls when he enters the room, fawning over his every word as if he can say and do nothing wrong. His character is virtually untouchable, a constant source of frustration for his enemies and a constant comfort for his supporters. Even his closest aides admire his ability to do instantly what they are unable to accomplish with months of work.
Bob WeathersObama? No. George Washington. Referred to as “His Excellency” by an admiring nation, Washington remains one of the America’s greatest presidents. And celebrities. But unlike many modern presidents, Washington never took his celebrity status seriously. He operated with a biblical worldview that reminded him of his own imperfections and the fickle nature of humanity.
America has evolved into a celebrity-driven culture, no doubt about it. And every president, from the conclusively charismatic (Reagan, Kennedy) to the markedly unexciting (Nixon, Ford) has wrestled with the impact of the celebrity atmosphere on their term in office. That Obama enjoys popularity and a level of celebrity status is not unusual.
That should not disturb us. It is just part of our culture. But as believers, we should be disturbed by something else. Something bigger. We should be concerned if any world leader, especially in a free society, can enact legislation and produce policies virtually unquestioned by press and public – not so much because he is or is not doing anything evil, but because of the end result of letting popularity and charisma rule.
The Bible teaches that one day a leader will appear whose charisma will win the world and who will rise to the apex of popularity (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; 1 John 2:18). The willingness of any nation to bless its leaders with unquestioned popularity is a sign of the times, a signal of what lies ahead and an unnerving reality to Christians.
Jesus refused to pander to popular opinion and the celebrity mentality of his day (Matt. 12:38-45; John 2:24-25). But one day his opposite will embrace the celebrity status endowed on him by an adoring public. We may be closer than we think.