The sad news about the recent death of Kobe Bryant sent shock waves throughout the US and the world. As a long time fan of his, my heart was heavy with the somber news too. But as I watched the flood of media coverage over the next couple weeks my heart was heavy for a different reason.
A total of nine people died in that helicopter crash. Each one having a unique life story of their own. Each one immeasurably valued and loved by Jesus. But culture placed more emphasis and attention on Kobe because he was a superstar. The Grammys, The Oscars, The Superbowl, and many other high profile events paid tribute to him.
A similar response happened when Paul Walker and Paul Crouch (founder of TBN) both died on the same day. I remember looking at CNN.com and seeing a small article about Paul Crouch tucked away on the page. Just moments later, the news of Paul Walker’s death exploded. The entire page of CNN.com was about Paul Walker and the article about Paul Crouch was removed. The next several weeks (like Kobe’s news) was all about Paul Walker. There was little to no coverage about Paul Crouch.
Thankfully, God places no value on stardom, status or fame. Each person is loved uniquely and immeasurably whether a stillborn baby or a president. You are highly valued whether nobody knows your name or everybody knows your name.
Having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is all the fame you need.
For God does not show favoritism - Romans 2:11 NLT
For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? - James 2:2-4