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June 07, 2009 - AN AMERICAN IDOL?

by Father Edward L. Beck, C.P.

Well, the American Idol frenzy is over, or just beginning depending on your perspective. Rumors about cheating in the voting, anti-gay sentiment against second place Adam, and of course a summer tour to promote. And then we still have Britains Susan Boyle making headlines. A less likely Idol she was recently hospitalized after being accused of throwing around the f-bomb. Hard to believe from that shy lassie. Yes, these are the Idols generating headlines and making teens and middle-aged Brits swoon. And they’re the same Idols giving me some pause. Remember an idol is an image that we blindly worship. A FALSE god. Something visible but without substance. And that’s not my definition, but Merriam-Webster’s. So are these really our and Britain’s IDOLS? Seems to be the case for some. And I’m not some anti-Pop Culture curmudgeon, but I bristle when we confuse our priorities and give the insignificant such prominence. Neilsen Ratings not withstanding, aren’t we better served by revering what is true and beautiful and lasting? And not that which fades like the morning flowers. It’s no secret that celebrity worship has become our new religion, but isn’t it a false faith with no staying power or real substance? It certainly won’t sustain us in our trials or help us to answer the deeper questions of life. Adam’s eye-liner may be the rage today. But tomorrow will call for a more sustaining vision. And what and who we worship may be the truest test of who we really are.