We live in a world full of interesting moments that are captured forever on the internet. Different worlds can collide. For example, the recent viral video of Justin Bieber serenading Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University, was captured by paparazzi. While the rest of the world wondered about the “random guy,” the Biola community found this moment of viral fame for Dr. Corey quite amusing. I’m grateful for Dr. Corey’s response in this interview with Ed Stetzer, sharing how he was just reaching back when Justin Bieber reached out to him (even though he didn’t really know who it was), because it was the kind thing to do.
It’s crazy to see how a person’s life can forever change based on one moment that goes viral. This past week, I’ve recently been listening to Maggie Rogers’ newly-released debut album, Heard It in a Past Life, and I love how she shares honestly about the struggles of rising to viral fame so quickly in songs like “Light On” and “Past Life.” In a recorded NYU Masterclass, honorary guest Pharrell gave her high praises that sparked her viral fame. She toured all over the world and major labels had bidding wars over her. Her story seemed like something that came out of a fairytale. However, she shared in her album of how all the attention was disorienting and unbearingly overwhelming. In her debut album, she tried to process the last two years and expressed her vulnerability as she tried to figure out her identity in the midst of instant fame. Even in her music style, Rogers displayed such a unique blend of folk with electronica. Her musical style was influenced by her own life of growing up in a small town, but also studying abroad in Europe and learning to love dance music. Her music described her own journey of discovery.
Another person whose recently rose to viral fame in her perfect gymnastics routine was UCLA gymnast, Katelyn Ohashi. Her amazing performance was full of joy and technical skill. After this video went viral, she also shared how overwhelming the instant fame was and how she wanted to stay humble and true to herself despite the overwhelming attention. Ohashi also used her platform to share about her own struggle with body shaming issues and how she was learning to be more confident in her own skin.
In all of these examples, I’m grateful for their honesty in sharing the way they have dealt with their moments of viral fame. While not always easy, their stories remind me that people can use their platforms to promote positivity instead of succumbing to the temptations and pressures of viral fame. As I think about fame and its dangers, King Solomon comes to mind as someone who had wordly fame as being the wisest man on earth. In Ecclesiastes, he writes:
I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11)
Even as Solomon writes about how he became “greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me,” he shows how he had fame, riches, women, and anything he ever could have desired. Yet, in the midst of it, he found it all wanting and meaningless. He writes about his honest journey of gaining wisdom, fame, and wealth; yet, was still devoid of his heart’s deepest desire. This example shows how there is nothing new under the sun as fame has its dangers and leaves one feeling empty. While the form and quality of fame may change depending on the time period and culture, the results of fame seem to be the same. We can take these examples and learn from their stories of seeing how moments of viral fame cannot fulfill our deepest desires of peace and contentment, that are only found in God. Not only in promoting positivity and self-confidence, but ultimately, the author of Ecclesiastes concludes with the purpose of life, in finding meaning in remembering the Creator and to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Understanding that God’s presence and relational love is the thing that fulfills the heart’s deepest desires, we can accept His grace and follow His leading. Through following God’s will for our lives can we experience the deepest form of contentment.
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