Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Listening to Jodi Foster

I didn't watch the Golden Globes but saw lots of tweets about it. Some were touting the greatness of Jodi Foster and some were wondering what she was trying to say in her acceptance speech. So I watched the speech on YouTube. Twice.

Now, this is not about whether or not I like Jodi Foster. I'm not much of a movie-goer so I probably should not comment on her career. However, it is impressive that at about my age she received a lifetime achievement award.

This is about something I heard in her speech. Early in the speech she said this:

"If you had been a public figure from the time that you were a toddler, if you'd had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal against all odds, then maybe then you, too, might value privacy above all else. Privacy."

People who put themselves in the public eye do forfeit their privacy for whatever reasons. For most of them (especially actors, athletes, authors, and politicians) it is a necessary part of the job. Public relations can be nothing but public.

In our culture, the infatuation with stardom has gotten out of hand. Does anyone even know how many reality shows are on the air these days? And how many "entertainment news" shows are there? We even have at least one cable network dedicated to telling us everything about everyone who shows up on the TV or silver screen. And what is Sports Center about, really?

Stars can't go to a grocery store or restaurant without having to fight a crowd of sight-seers and news hounds. Their vacations and weddings can never be a private affair. Their families aren't protected either. Their lives is far from private.

Hear this from the end of Foster's speech:

"[I want the rest of my career to say that] Jodi Foster was here, I still am. And I want to be seen, to be understood deeply, and to be not so very lonely."

Over the course of a speech that lasted seven minutes, she longs for privacy AND publicity. What is most interesting is that Jodi Foster - who has spent her entire life in the spotlight - seeks intimacy and acceptance.

That's true for all of us. We long for close relationships that last and matter. We ache for someone to love us as we are in spite of our "issues." How one person goes about searching for intimacy and acceptance might look much different than how the next guy does it. But how each person finds it will be the same.

Jesus Christ loves you just as you are and desires an intimate relationship with you. No matter how famous or obscure you are, Jesus loves you. Your success or lack of it doesn't matter. If everybody knows your name or if nobody knows your name, Jesus does and he loves you.

We all find intimacy and acceptance only in Jesus Christ and fully in Jesus Christ.

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