While filming scenes for the upcoming season of Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch had a message for all the paparazzi trying to capture a photo. His note said, “Go photograph Egypt and show the world something important.”
I liked Cumberbatch’s note and appreciated its snark. We often place celebrities and their projects on a pedestal. We scour the Internet for news about our favorite celebrities or insights into our favorite shows.
I fall victim to this all the time. Before I spent some time on CNN.com, BBC.co.uk and Wikipedia, I knew more about Guardians of the Galaxy than I did the conflict in Egypt. I knew more about a movie with an anthropomorphic raccoon than I did about a conflict in which over 830 real people have died.
For those of us living in the relative safety of the United States, it’s easy to spend our days thinking about movies, video games, comics and TV shows. There’s no military coup taking place and I’m not likely to get shot in my suburban apartment. As fun as our nerdclinations are, and I’m definitely not going to give up playing video games and reading about Rocket Raccoon, they’re not the most important things in the world.
God hasn’t saved us and empowered us with his Spirit to only focus on fake worlds and characters that don’t need his grace and salvation. We need to look at the real world around us and do what we can to help God heal the very real brokenness.
I can’t go to Egypt, but I can pray for peace and that both sides would seek out reconciliation.
I can’t go to Swaziland in Africa, but I can support a World Vision child there.
I can spend time with hurting students and show them that they’re not alone.
We can love our fake worlds and get excited for the Avengers and the Doctor and the Starks. We can’t get so caught up in our fake worlds, though, that we miss out on what God wants us to do in the real world.
What helps you look for ways God wants to use you in the real world?
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