The Superstar of superstars

Their relationship began like many these days with a question through a dating app. “Which Star Wars movie is your favorite?” The answer: “Episode V”- a response that seems rather cryptic to those of us who are not fans of Star Wars. The Empire Strikes Back is actually the 2nd movie in a trilogy that became a series in which this movie is Episode V. If you wonder how the second movie became the fifth, that logic is simple compared to the rather convoluted storyline of the series with an array of characters that requires a spreadsheet to follow. For this couple, that question led to a 13-hour Star Wars marathon birthday celebration, complete with Star Wars snacks made from Star Wars cookbooks. One thing led to another, and by spring they were walking down the aisle to the movie theme from the original 1977 Star Wars movie, while guests created an arch of glowing lightsabers. Most of us would look on and shake our heads at fandom gone wild.

How many of us know a Swiftie? Over the last few years, Taylor Swift has developed a fan base willing to pay exorbitant concert prices, travel significant distances, and wear unique costumes to share in the cult-like community of the Swifties. The NFL recently acknowledged the commercial potential of this demographic, tailoring the fall schedule of the Kansas City Chiefs to maximize the amount of games Taylor Swift can fit into her concert schedule. If you have not been following the love life of Taylor Swift, you may not know that she is dating Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Chiefs. She has become a regular in the owner’s box at the games. ‘Swift sightings’ have significantly boosted the viewership of Chiefs’ games, making some football executives a rather pretty penny. Most of us sitting on the sidelines, we shake our heads at fandom gone wild.

But perhaps you have your own secret fandom… Do you have mouse ears carefully stored on the closet shelf waiting for your next trip to the mecca of all things Disney? Or perhaps you have Grateful Dead t-shirts tucked away for a quiet (or perhaps not so quiet) Saturday night walk down memory lane. Maybe your guilty little pleasure is watching the Bachelor, one season after the next of failed relationships, yet Bachelor Nation continues to press on. Or perhaps you are a Harry Potter aficionado with your wand at the ready. Did you know that you can take broomstick flying lessons at Alnwick Castle in England? And while many of us yearn for the end of this election cycle, our neighbors are sporting their fandom with signs that leave no question as to their vote. Is this fandom gone wild, or a sign of the human need for connection?

The Wall Street Journal recently published an opinion piece entitled, “What Superfans Know the Rest of Us Should Learn.” Rachel Feintzeig argues that these superfans have unlocked the key to happiness. “We are social creatures, biologically wired to crave being part of a group.” The article goes on to describe an epidemic of loneliness in our society. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor at Brigham Young University writes, “Loneliness is like thirst. If we do not have the connections that our being craves, we get sick. Our mental and physical health can suffer.” Heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline are just the tip of the iceberg. Superfans have found the cure- connections that create community. Feintzeig claims that community is the key to happiness.

We don’t need a professor of sociology to tell us what we know at the core of our beingwe need each other. A quick read of the first two chapters of Genesis shows that God created us to live in community. We watch as Jesus weaves his disciples into a community and then sends them out to create community. There was a time when the church was the gathering place of community. When you moved into a neighborhood, you would find a church. You would join the church and raise your children in the church. I’m not sure when the church fell out of favor. I hate to admit that it happened on my watch. Sometime between my childhood and now, church became just one of many options competing for an hour in the week. How did we let our Superstar get upstaged by Taylor Swift and Harry Potter?

The other day I asked a Taylor Swift fan how she became a Swiftie. Her story started so simply, with a friend sharing a song. She liked that song and shared it with another. Together they found more songs and shared those. In social media speak, they ‘liked’ and ‘shared’ until they became part of something bigger than themselves. Now she would say she ‘follows’ Taylor, reads what she posts, and watches for each new release. Each ‘like’, each ‘share’ bonds her more deeply to a community of people she does not know. Do we do the same with our Superstar? Do we ‘like’ and ‘share’ what He has to offer? We know the Superstar of superstars. Our Superstar doesn’t just sing about love, He gave his life for us in love. Our Superstar doesn’t just wave a wand of imaginary magic, He can actually heal mind, body and spirit. Our Superstar may not be a political celebrity, but He is the answer our nation needs. We know the One who can fill a lonely heart and rebuild broken families. We know the One who gives life meaning and purpose. We know the One! Will we share Him with the world that desperately needs more than glitz and glitter?

With you, learning to ‘like’ and ‘share’ the Superstar of superstars so that others will find their home and community in Him.
Anita

Invite a friend to the Free Fall Fest and Concert on September 15th!