Wednesday, 02 May 2012

• American Idols: Colton Dixon and the Love of Christian Celebrities

  By Dean Lusk
  
  "American Idol". I believe the show's name is unfortunately pretty accurate. The good thing is that it reminds me of how easy it can be for us to be consumed by something or someone other than Christ, and helps me to guard against that.
  
  That said, I thoroughly enjoy watching "American Idol" early in the season. I've found that there's not much middle ground at that point. Viewers of the show either feel sorry for the idol wannabes or they take tremendous pleasure in the painfully off-key voices and the "he-didn't-really-just-do-that-did-he?" shenanigans of people who ought not be on national television. I fall into the second category and when that part is over I don't usually care to watch anymore. You know, when the good singers start.
  
  This year, though, as my wife and daughter watched it, I would stop in the room to listen to Colton Dixon. Even if he'd had a terrible personality I'd have still appreciated his haircut and his vocal ability, but he wound up, apparently like most in the group of finalists, seeming to have a great personality.
  
  I had to smile when he decided to sing his "favorite worship song" on one show. I reasoned that he would be the new Tim Tebow. Not that the first Tebow is old or anything, but we Christians like our publicly-adored, media-spotlighted figures. We point to them and say to the world, "See?! In yo' face! He's a Christian, just like me and he's way better than any of those dumb ol' secular singers (or football players or actors or inventors or authors or mimes or fountain pen repair people, as the case may be). I have to admit, I was kinda in that group with Colton Dixon on American Idol, which is pretty unusual for me, so I was actually quite deflated when an interview with HollywoodLife.com there were even more and direct indications of where he stands:
  
  HL – "With your final song you kind of fell to your knees and sat there for a minute before you started, what were you thinking?"
  
  CD – "It’s funny, I have been trying too hard to get a standing ovation from the judges that I didn’t need, I didn’t need it for confidence or anything like that, and during that song I wasn’t singing for them or my family or anyone in the audience or anyone at home, that song was between me and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We had a cool moment on stage for sure, but I wanted to end it the way I started it and told myself I would do this competition and I’m glad I got the opportunity."
  
  Millions of "Idol"-watching Christians (zounds, there's another idiotic-sounding phrase) are probably bummed this morning. I totally get it. But the thing to do rather than waiting for Tebow/Dixon Version 3 (a terrible tendency of the average American Christian) is for you yourself to become the next follower of Christ that others will cheer on because you're bringing honor and glory to God.
  
  Why is it our habit to try to use a figurehead or public personality to vicariously live out our own walk with Christ?
  
  Enough musing. I'm just ready for the new Colton Dixon album to come out. Matter of fact, I think I'm going to pre-buy it at Amazon.com or iTunes whenever it becomes available. Dude rocked.

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