If you happened to watch the "Live Earth" concerts on TV, you witnessed history. These concerts were historic in the amount of live and television viewers they attracted (2 billion people), the amount of stardom involved, and the amount of money raised to support environmental causes. The concerts actually were off the hook. Though U2 and Bono were noticeably absent, performers included Madonna, UB40, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Metallica.
You can't help but look up to all these stars as they have given so much to ensure that God's creation remains secure for future generations, right? Actually, no. The Daily Mail, a news outlet in the United Kingdom, released an article entitled, "Live Earth is Promoting Green to Save the Planet - What Planet are They on?" that pointed out the abusive hypocrisy of the Live Earth concerts and its participants. The concerts themselves will generate more than 1,000 tons of waste, the majority of which will be sent to land-fill sites. In addition, the A-list performers will each be flying their posse in on carbon-emitting, fossil fuel-guzzling private jets. Madonna, the Live Earth headliner, has an annual carbon footprint of over 1,000 tons. That is over 100 times that of her average countryman!
The funny thing is that these people have become exactly what they accuse Christ-followers of being - hypocrites. It is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. The only difference is that the dubbed-and-redubbed, CD-selling, cone-bra-wearing stars get a pass and we don't.
But a pass is not what we should be looking for. Hypocrisy makes God angrier than it makes any of us (see Matthew 24:51). If you follow Christ, you must be in a constant state of refinement, with each step of life churning you up to a higher level of holiness and maturity. The church is not perfect, and it never will be. But, Christ is. We must focus on Him to minimize the level of rampant hypocrisy among ourselves.
Can you think of a time when you lived in a way that was inconsistent with what you claim to believe?
What are good ways to live out a consistent faith during your work week?
You can't help but look up to all these stars as they have given so much to ensure that God's creation remains secure for future generations, right? Actually, no. The Daily Mail, a news outlet in the United Kingdom, released an article entitled, "Live Earth is Promoting Green to Save the Planet - What Planet are They on?" that pointed out the abusive hypocrisy of the Live Earth concerts and its participants. The concerts themselves will generate more than 1,000 tons of waste, the majority of which will be sent to land-fill sites. In addition, the A-list performers will each be flying their posse in on carbon-emitting, fossil fuel-guzzling private jets. Madonna, the Live Earth headliner, has an annual carbon footprint of over 1,000 tons. That is over 100 times that of her average countryman!
The funny thing is that these people have become exactly what they accuse Christ-followers of being - hypocrites. It is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. The only difference is that the dubbed-and-redubbed, CD-selling, cone-bra-wearing stars get a pass and we don't.
But a pass is not what we should be looking for. Hypocrisy makes God angrier than it makes any of us (see Matthew 24:51). If you follow Christ, you must be in a constant state of refinement, with each step of life churning you up to a higher level of holiness and maturity. The church is not perfect, and it never will be. But, Christ is. We must focus on Him to minimize the level of rampant hypocrisy among ourselves.
Can you think of a time when you lived in a way that was inconsistent with what you claim to believe?
What are good ways to live out a consistent faith during your work week?
