Canadian Idol

Yesterday after church we had a youth group picnic (followed by a picnic that some friends Beth has met were putting on). This is Anders going with Scott to the playground. The pictures speak volumes, don't they? For years Anders has idolized teenagers. I think it developed when he was young and would come to youth group in Iowa when Beth and I were leading. Ask him what he wants to be and "a teenager" is usually his first answer ("a farmer" has been second at times).

A in one of the first episodes of Little Mosque on the Prairie, one of the Muslims who is preaching before they get an imam says, "American Idol. Canadian Idol. All idols are forbidden." Which is true--even for followers of Jesus. But we tend to let our idols slip in anyway, don't we? Whether it's celebrity, a billionaire, someone successful at whatever where pursuing . . . we sometimes let those idols slip in. Maybe we don't worship them, but we often find ourselves trying to following their path to success rather than following Jesus down the narrow road. Our call is to follow Him. Not just merely believe or call ourself a Christian, but to become a disciple, learning to think, act, talk like the One we follow. Maybe this is that faith like a child thing. Look up to Jesus, desire to spend time with Him and follow.