Christopher Lasch suggested that there is a profound difference between celebrities and saints. In a narcissistic, self-pleasing culture, we welcome celebrities because we lack imagination and courage. Traditional heroes make demands on us, but celebrities make no moral claim on us.
Glittering stars in our culture merely feed our narcissism, our love of self, our addiction to everything society finds pleasurable. No one ever asks how our constant exposure to the rich and famous is supposed to make us good or wise or faithful.
Even if we are trying to live faithful lives, our minds are always being reshaped, just a little, all the time, into the image of what surrounds us. But heroes—saints—stretch our imaginations and stand as imperatives, calling, wooing us into a higher, holier life.
This is an excerpt from a book Servants, Misfits & Martyrs by James C. Howell. If you would like to buy this book please click here.