Idol Moments

We live in a world that seems to be growing darker all the time; encased in fear, expressing its fallen nature in heightened degrees.  But, we can be careful to allow Christ's light to shine through us.  In
Matthew 5, Jesus says:
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

There will be opportunities for us to share what God has done in our lives.  He is present within us, and He desires to express His love and light through His people.  When there is a dire or challenging situation, we can bring the presence of the Lord into it.  We can walk through life with an openness to allow God to do what He desires to do and to be confident that His love and truth can flow through us as we possess a willing heart.

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We are called to walk in the light of Christ, and to allow His light in us to illuminate our hearts and to proceed from our lives. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Did you know that American Idol is back on prime-time television?  The singing reality show is now in its second season on ABC, and while it is certainly not the juggernaut that it used to be, last Wednesday's installment still made the #8 position in total viewers, according to TV By the Numbers, and this past Sunday's show at #12.  It won the night Wednesday and finished second on Sunday, but won adults 18-49 for Sunday night.   But, Idol's ratings have been eclipsed by The Voice in recent years.

So, people are continuing to watch American Idol, it seems.  And, viewers have been treated to some faith-related moments in the reality show.  Take, for instance, a moment involving a young lady from South Carolina, Kalifa Wilson, whose story was documented on the ChristianHeadlines.com website.   The article relates:

According to CBN News, Wilson – who goes by “Kai the Singer” – walked into the audition room and sang covers of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and The Temptations’ “My Girl” before quickly bringing pop singer Katy Perry to tears with her story.

Wilson shared that all of her life she and her family had been living in homeless shelters. The South Carolina native even noted that at one point her whole family was living in a car.

Judge Luke Bryan was touched by Wilson's story and commented that he didn't know how she got the money to make it for an audition.  This exchange ensued and included the other two judges, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie:

Wilson responded saying, “My church.”

Perry, whose eyes were filled with water, quickly asked, “Your church sent you here?"

Wilson answered saying, “Yeah, just right there after church.”

As tears streamed down Perry’s face, she told Wilson that her story reminded her of her own.

“I didn't grow up with any money. Money was always a problem. It was the cause of everything not great in my life," Perry told the teen. "We had food stamps and were at the food bank, all that stuff because my parents were traveling ministers."

Perry added, "And so, when I was 13, the church bought me a guitar.”

Wilson interjected saying "That's where I got that one from," as she pointed to the guitar she played while covering “Thinking Out Loud.”

Richie is quoted as saying, "God can only do for you what He can do through you.”

There was also the recent instance involving Drake McCain; The Christian Post stated:

...McCain chose to use his performance to worship God by singing the popular gospel hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow," taken from the Bible verse Matthew 6:26.

McCain was joined by Katy Perry, and the two "harmonized" on the song.  Luke Bryan requested another gospel song, O Happy Day. About Perry, the story says, "The chart-topping singer got so inspired that she stood up to clap and dance to the song."

You're probably familiar with Katy Perry's story; she was raised in a ministry family, but as the Post points out, "...she no longer identifies as a Christian, but some speculate that her social media posts and comments during the singing competition might indicate that things are changing."

There seems to have been fairly regular faith stories that have made their way on to American Idol throughout the years.  And, there have been notable Christian singers and worship leaders who have fared well in the competition.  In Christian music, some of the biggest names among finalists include Danny Gokey, Mandisa, and Jasmine Murray.  This is a great reminder to each of us to allow the Lord to express Himself through you.  Got a talent (and we all are gifted in some way)?  Let God use it...

...and where there is an opportunity, tell your story.  Jesus challenged His people to let their light shine before others.  We have His presence in our lives, and we can allow that presence to flow through us to touch other people with His love.  And, letting people know what God has done in our lives may make an impact on their hearts.

And, we can rejoice in faith moments seen by millions.  We can be careful to thank the Lord for open doors and be sensitive to identify where God is calling us to walk - it may not be in front of millions, but it can produce God's intended outcome.

Finally, pray for the seeds sown in Katy Perry's life during her childhood and teen years; her faith story may indeed not be over.  And, you can pray for others who have strayed or outright rejected their childhood faith, that they might be reminded of the presence of the Lord and return to Him.