People are all stars in one sense, but certain people highlight this charisma of God. The gift of stardom, fame or even celebrity is meant to draw people to The Source of Light–God. Jesus is called the bright morning star, that rules and guides the dawn into day. The gift of glory is His to give.
Each star has a unique radius of impact. When stars gather they form constellations which should be a readable pattern of some part of God’s story. Fame and glory are meant to light up the world so people can see and understand more clearly.
Often you see that in groups of very bright people, the worship of one another’s glory happens instead. And if one has a very low self esteem like say a Kurt Kobain, the gift of glory itself is such a burden that with no understanding it must implode on itself. Elvis’ gift of glory was nearly eaten off him by the public and media, but his light was never entirely taken from him, though the entertainment industry dulled it significantly! But there is a reason God made stars–even certain people which stand out in unique splendor. Solomon was one such person. David another. Many were jealous of their radiance, but it was clearly from God and aligned with His Purposes.
The culture of celebrity often makes false constellations and clearly worships the glow rather than the source of the glowing. Also there really is a false worship of one another’s gifting in that culture. Still, this is not because God did not intend people to shine, and some to shine very brightly with unique charisma. The gift of charisma is a unique gift, at times a burden, but also a responsibility. You see someone like Bono carrying it quiet well! And there are others, though many get lost in false adoration or some form of enmeshment. Others are eaten by media or those who want to live vicariously through their shimmer.
But God is attractive, radiant, splendid, and allows people to carry some parts of his magnetism! It is not wrong to attract people, for even the Father is drawing men to His Son. He is attracting them!
So stars both illuminate and the have a magnetic pull. You see these two sides of stardom working in tandem at times. Stars are meant to shine and guide and lead people into God’s Realm. Stars are those who are themselves meant to symbolize something for all of humanity. This symbolic function is foregrounded in them for His Purposes. As they start to truly follow Him they are placed in their proper constellations and able to enjoy the radius of His Glory in them, and to have the joy of bringing light into a dark world.
Daniel was another example of a person with the gift of stardom. He clearly shone among all his contemporaries. Even being put in charge of all the seers and wise men. Even flame itself could not retard his God given glory. He did not turn this into a worship of himself as so many kings had done, including the one he was serving. Instead, he used it as an illuminated sign pointing to God. In doing so, he illuminated the culture he was serving and his own people who he helped save. Moses of course also wore some intense glory in his time, which illuminated the people to the point of nearly seering their eyes! If we are unabashed with the glory God gives us to reflect it truly helps all those around us, and can impact an entire culture!
