All That Glitters is Not Gold

By Jessica Greer

Charity and activism have been incorporated into our popular culture quite successfully with the help of celebrity obsession.

With all the media awareness surrounding the current causes and movements of our age, one can get carried away in the throes of ideological fads.

The most accepted interest groups in our country are carried on the backs of celebrities.

Because they ultimately sell a product, cities or countries that require relief efforts enlist whatever beautiful famous face the masses currently flock toward. 

In Time Magazine, Richard Schickel said: “No issue or idea in our culture can gain any traction with the general population unless it has celebrity names attached to it.”

Schickel’s observation exposes the shallow cultural thinking in which so many participate – that a cause must have the current rock star sensation behind it in order to have legitimate value.

This does not negate the real need that may exist, but it does minimize the actual effort.  After 9/11 many celebrities used their platform to make political and social declarations.  Those of us who can remember Richard Gere getting boo-ed at Madison Square Garden for his passionate speech on “turning our negative energy into compassion” for terrorism are familiar with this celebrity pedestal.

Eventually 9/11 was no longer a fad or current need; and these same celebrities attached their name to new movements such as Katrina, Going Green, Haiti, and now Japan.

While these issues were and are relevant, the masses are swept ever forward to the next celebrity-endorsed movement, leaving in their wake whatever shallow burden they may have momentarily carried for those left behind.

The true issue at hand is not whether people join a movement based on a famous face; but rather how the masses may be inspired to embrace a real burden that values the life of these causes.

The problem with pop culture dominating philanthropy is that it is always based on a temporary and shallow fad that varies based on consumerism.

People must find personal value in joining a movement that is making a genuine effort to help change lives. From this value, common people may take responsibility for their burden and find purpose in doing so.

The most effective and lasting movements value the human soul more than anything else.  The soul is what declares human worth and transcends all race, class, and gender marginalizations.

The soul is the ultimate abstract handprint on our lives from God Himself, and glorifies Him as Creator. Any cause that acknowledges this reflects the heart of God.

Faith-based soul-winning movements may not have the popularity of those attempting to save the whales, trees, glaciers, or any other noun not pertaining to an actual soul; nevertheless they are still alive and well, and are moving throughout the earth with eternal purpose.

William Wilberforce was one of the most instrumental men in driving England’s abolition movement. He challenged economic power structures, political groups, and even the popular conventional culture.

Wilberforce did not value his favor or fame with the masses, but instead he had a higher purpose that compelled him so passionately that he would not give it up.

In 1807, England passed the Slave Trade Act which dismantled the slave trades. Finally in 1833, England passed the Slavery Abolition Act.

Wilberforce died a month before the Abolition Act was passed; however his efforts set off a chain reaction that changed the world.

In 1865 Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery.  Wilberforce is one of many heroes that transformed the world, because he took responsibility for a burden God gave him by making it his life’s purpose.

The worth of a soul cannot be measured by anything of extrinsic value; that is, economic status, cultural status, or even our earthly relationships.

The Bible says, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

The irony of this scripture is often expressed as someone gaining much power and money in a lifetime, all while they lose their eternal soul.

People may do good deeds in their own name simply out of a desire to change the world through some vain cause. But if your cause does not value what God values, then you yourself may be losing your own soul.

Being a good steward of the earth is definitely not wrong. Having respect for nature and its ecosystem can be beneficial. However, when one becomes obsessed with the vanity of self-glorification or the self-righteousness of their efforts, their soul is in danger.  Matthew 10:28 says: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

As humans we all have a sense of compassion for those we see as unfortunate or needy. This can be a great motivator in feeling good about giving.

But I would challenge you to value your own soul as a humble person standing before God, needing His grace and mercy. This perspective will enable us to see people not just as beings existing beneath us who need a hero to save them – but rather as fellow brothers and sisters who share the same human worth. To see we are all valuable souls in need of salvation, and to allow God to use us to bring His salvation to them.

A celebrity is always a nice advertisement, but ultimately God wants people to be inspired by the burden of a soul. We believe that God will honor movements that are based on His mission, which values all souls.

Into-Africa Inc. is not an ordinary organization seeking popularity for the sake of vanity.  It is an effort to enable countries in West Africa to become self-sustaining. Into-Africa values the human soul and understands that all men and women, including Africans, have a vital role to play in this effort. The motive of this effort is based on a burden that Africans have for their own countries; Americans living in a blessed nation feel this burden also. It is through relationship with one another that we take responsibility for this burden. We ask you to partner with us, not because it is a popular social cause, but because it is a value we hope you can find worth in, and a responsibility we pray you will embrace.