Hit me Baby, One More Time

Two days ago I turned on my television in order to get some sort of update regarding the war our nation is in on two fronts- Iraq and Afghanistan. The news has been inundated of late with stories from the battlefield as well as the vain repititions of the U.S. Congress, unjust massacre in places like the Sudan and nuclear threats from both Iran and North Korea.

One can imagine my surprise, therefore, when the top story on all the news shows (seriously.....ALL the news shows) was a bald picture of Britney Spears. Yes...Britney Spears...the "Hit me Baby, One More Time, Ooops I did it Again, Lucky"-Pop Diva! It's bad enough when the news breaks away from real news in order to cover a low speed car chase through the hills of Ventura......but Britney Spears HAIR?!

The weird thing is that I have thought about that experience over the past couple of days. I thought about the hollow promises of fame, fortune & big homes. I thought about her two children who will now grow up without mommy & daddy together. I wonder whatever happened to the Mickey Mouse Club Britney. Whatever happened to the girl from Louisiana who broke onto the scene not only singing & dancing, but also unashamedly talking about her faith in Jesus & her commitment to stay sexually pure until she was married? What has happened in her life to take her from that "commitment" to kissing Madonna in front of the whole world, to text messaging her hubby a divorce message to checking in & out of rehab in less than a day to completely shaving her once stylish head of hair? And in the midst of all this, when does she have time to be a mother?

When I think about Britney Spears it saddens me. I obviously don't know her but it does sadden me. Maybe it's because I see how far she has fallen from her "commitment" to Christ & chastity. Maybe it's because I'm reminded that a little bit of compromise each day really multiplies and builds up over the months & years until one day you wake up and wonder where the real you went. Maybe it's because I work with High School Students all the time and I'm broken by the thought that girls like this are the heroes that teenage & 20something girls of today esteem & hold in high regard. Maybe it's because words like "character" and "integrity" are being replaced by words like "style", "popular", "sheek", "sexy" and "fashion". Maybe it's because I wonder what will happen next.

As I watch Britney I am reminded of a story that Jesus told one time about a young man who basically told his father "screw you" and took his inheritance with him to a land far away. Jesus tells us that the young man squandered his wealth on cheap sex and "wild living". He was having fun. Sin is always fun for the moment. Then one day the young man woke up & wondered who he had become. He found himself literally living in the mud with the pigs. A jewish boy in a pig pen. Jesus' point was well made.....this boy couldn't have gotten any lower if he tried!! Jesus tells us that one day the young man "came to his senses". He was unworthy and knew he needed to return to the father he disowned but how would his father ever take him back. As always, though, Jesus makes a scandalous point about what GOD is like!! The story ends with an embrace & a party. The father sees his son returning, runs to him, throws his arms around him and kisses him!! The father restored his rebel-son to the family. All the son had to do was return....the father did the rest!

Britney is just one example of many who have run. None of us are immune to becoming runners-from-God ourselves. The truth, however, is that the FATHER loves His children. He will always be right there for His children. If we will just come to our senses and realize that there is no peace, hope, fulfillment or real life apart from the Father we can be restored!

My hope is that Britney will realize that Jesus is still there....waiting for her return....he loves every single one of his children. Bald or not.