WANTED: PERFECT INFLUENCERS
I was watching ANC Conversations when a guest who is a who’s who in the global creatives community shared her insights on consumer pandemic behavior which were very helpful to me as a marketing lecturer; she also gave me something to chew upon as a believer.
She cited the rise of raw and authentic influencers and the shift away from the polished and perfect professionals. At a time where we feel so vulnerable, it helps to see others showing their mistakes and not pretending to be a know-it-all. We take comfort in seeing people as real as---well, as us. It got me into thinking that this is how it should be in our faith community. We need to be real with one another, not posturing as a know-it-all and got-it-all for surely, there is none who is. Even Paul, the greatest apostle, had his struggles (Rom. 7:15-20).
Whether we like it or not, we in the faith are all influencers---to one another and to those outside of our community. They observe, they notice, they wonder, they follow.
Some people have a high regard for my command of the English language but every now and then, I falter. Actually, the most recent one was just a few days ago when I didn’t realize I wrote, “slided” instead of “slid.” By the time I noticed it, others have seen it but were gracious enough not to say anything. Haha And I am okay with it. I never claimed to be perfect in the Queen’s English and for those who respect my skill, I am okay with showing my imperfection if it will encourage them especially my students. And it is the same way with our Christian testimony. We should be okay to show that we are not Super Christians. A believer who projects him/herself as such is setting him/herself up for a fall. I remember one popular vegan influencer who was caught on video trying to hide a non-vegan dish. She then later admitted that she had been suffering from health problems caused by her diet. We can all predict what happened to her career. Perhaps if she had been more forthcoming before the incident, her followers would have rallied behind her because she would have become more relatable---with similar struggles and hard choices to make but her admission came too late. It angered them all the more when she continued to sell her popular vegan diet plan even after being diagnosed. It seemed for them that it was all about money.
For us in the faith, perhaps projecting to be perfect can also be about money but it can also be for respect, recognition, influence, etc. Whatever it is, it is not for the glory of God. The Father called us to be perfect, not to project it (Mt. 5:48) and divine perfection starts with admitting to ourselves and to the world that we are not perfect. Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 4:7 about being treasures in clay jars. The Corinthians were known for their “pots made of inferior clay that, when fired, cracked…made great light diffusers. (The) cracked imperfect exteriors….are vital. A well glazed pot keeps the light in; only a pot riven with cracks can shine God’s light in the world. The cracks let the light out.” Let us not be afraid to let out our cracks for they will help crack the darkness with the Light of the World.
I was watching ANC Conversations when a guest who is a who’s who in the global creatives community shared her insights on consumer pandemic behavior which were very helpful to me as a marketing lecturer; she also gave me something to chew upon as a believer.
She cited the rise of raw and authentic influencers and the shift away from the polished and perfect professionals. At a time where we feel so vulnerable, it helps to see others showing their mistakes and not pretending to be a know-it-all. We take comfort in seeing people as real as---well, as us. It got me into thinking that this is how it should be in our faith community. We need to be real with one another, not posturing as a know-it-all and got-it-all for surely, there is none who is. Even Paul, the greatest apostle, had his struggles (Rom. 7:15-20).
Whether we like it or not, we in the faith are all influencers---to one another and to those outside of our community. They observe, they notice, they wonder, they follow.
Some people have a high regard for my command of the English language but every now and then, I falter. Actually, the most recent one was just a few days ago when I didn’t realize I wrote, “slided” instead of “slid.” By the time I noticed it, others have seen it but were gracious enough not to say anything. Haha And I am okay with it. I never claimed to be perfect in the Queen’s English and for those who respect my skill, I am okay with showing my imperfection if it will encourage them especially my students. And it is the same way with our Christian testimony. We should be okay to show that we are not Super Christians. A believer who projects him/herself as such is setting him/herself up for a fall. I remember one popular vegan influencer who was caught on video trying to hide a non-vegan dish. She then later admitted that she had been suffering from health problems caused by her diet. We can all predict what happened to her career. Perhaps if she had been more forthcoming before the incident, her followers would have rallied behind her because she would have become more relatable---with similar struggles and hard choices to make but her admission came too late. It angered them all the more when she continued to sell her popular vegan diet plan even after being diagnosed. It seemed for them that it was all about money.
For us in the faith, perhaps projecting to be perfect can also be about money but it can also be for respect, recognition, influence, etc. Whatever it is, it is not for the glory of God. The Father called us to be perfect, not to project it (Mt. 5:48) and divine perfection starts with admitting to ourselves and to the world that we are not perfect. Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 4:7 about being treasures in clay jars. The Corinthians were known for their “pots made of inferior clay that, when fired, cracked…made great light diffusers. (The) cracked imperfect exteriors….are vital. A well glazed pot keeps the light in; only a pot riven with cracks can shine God’s light in the world. The cracks let the light out.” Let us not be afraid to let out our cracks for they will help crack the darkness with the Light of the World.