월요일, 1월 12, 2004
i was just wondering what is up with this whole business about idolising pop stars. the concert (re: previous post) was rather enlightening, upon reflection, because of the fact that i sat in a concert, having no clue as to what the artiste performing was about in the first place, much less have any interest in what they did.

however, on the other end of the spectrum (i don't know which is better), there were people who were there solely for the purpose of enjoying the star presence of the artiste, and cheering her on relentlessly at various points during the concert.

what?

most times, when i actually do find myself in a concert, i realise that i probably might well be one of those people, cheering and hollering for all my worth, in a bid to let said artiste know how much i appreciate them and their music. speaking from personal experience, there was even one time i managed to shout (with only one other friend, that's right, one) "we love you, *insert band group's name here*!" over the music, and as we were in the front row, of course they heard us. that aside, what i really wanted to voice here was, do superstardom and religion mix?

there are many worship leaders like don moen who are musicians in their own right, and they're famous solely because of the fact that they stay faithful to the ministry that they have chosen. however, there are some who attempt forays into the pop music industry, using their existing praise and worship ministry as a spring-board to propel them to superstardom. what, i reiterate, is the rationale of this? it totally undermines the sanctity of any faith, does it not?

i don't like the word 'religion', it always reminds me of rules and measures, least of all worship. the thought of having a faith or belief appeals much more. however, i don't suppose this means that it's ok to make use, to a certain extent, the faith of a church, or any other religious (ah, that word again) institution as a platform for one's own personal gain, regardless of the monetary status of the organisation. after all, the marketing strategy is clear: all i have to do is, as a leader, i'll go and be a pop star, and hey presto, instant fanbase. why? because all the members of the church (i'll just use 'church' because it's prevalance seems to be more rampant in this area for reasons unknown to me. you don't see monks going off to be pop stars do you.) will definitely support me. why not condemn, i hear you cry. well, all i have to say is that i'm becoming a pop star to spread the gospel, which, impressively, sedates the masses. simple but effective, no?

i suppose that it is ok for everyone to have dreams of being a star at sometime or another, but you would have thought that people of God, who are close to Him, would know to cast away such thoughts and forge on, because, as Christians living in the end times, there are more important things to worry about than mere entertainment? anyway, fact of the matter is, that such pop songs by leaders-turned-popstars are actually played in church, and members insist that the 'him' in the songs actually refer to God, when the music videos, more often than not, show another facet altogether, but only proving one thing: the song clearly refers to erotic love, you know, the interpersonal relationship thing.

maybe it's all a figment of my cynical mind, but one cannot help but mull over the fact that such behaviour is not at all characteristic of men and women of God. sure, we've got to move with the times, as does the church, but erm... to the extent that a leader of the church can bounce up on stage and claim adoration for his/herself, in a glitzy outfit (midriff-baring, no doubt) and put the focus on them rather than the original entity they sought to serve - God? in this case, there's no way we can criticize your average britney and christina for wearing too little and influencing little 13-year old lucy's or angel's dressing because the supposed 'good' role model of an artiste is also promoting the same style of dressing to youngsters. where, again, is the meaning in all of this?

i really can't say how many times i heard that phrase “在我還沒有當歌手之前..." that night of the free concert. one can't help but think that the focus has indeed shifted from God to man. call me sarcastic, pessimistic, what you will, but i can't help but feel that it goes against the grain of whatever Christian teachings that have been imbibed by my elders. i'm not a perfect Christian either, but this is a bit out of the box, to say the least.

the thought that worries me the most is the age-old story that lucifer was originally the 'worship leader', until arrogance took over and he fell from grace, and that fall was for eternity. startling similarities may be drawn from the present situation? i cannot say, for after all, i am but a mere youth, and not accustomed to questioning the intention of my elders. this is merely my take on things.

so this is the question i leave you with: is the world becoming churchy, or the church becoming worldly?