Sphere of Influence
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.
——James C. Howell
Servants, Misfits and Martyrs
This thought speaks especially to these times we’re living in, when social media platforms has given everyone a platform … and an audience. A new class of celebrities has been born, content creators and influencers, famous for “going viral,” amassing millions of followers, views, likes, shares, and comments. By nature, it’s a platform that screams “Look at me!” And yet, the Gospel call is one of humility and modesty, “not letting the left hand know what the right is doing” in an effort to selflessly love and serve others. Our platform is not “look at me” but rather “look at Jesus!” Those who excel in this virtuous manner of living are the ones we ought to emulate. If we’re doing it right, we won’t go viral, we’ll experience the true and lasting joy of intimacy with God. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics