Soul Story

Every soul has a story. For each person, whether loved or hated by surrounding society, there is a reason for how they live, love, hate, think, rebel, influence, speak, write, create, and dress the way they do. No person is void of a story. And no story is without meaning. There is meaning and worth and purpose to each life because God has imprinted us with a reflection of His image. We have inherent worth because of the majesty and glory of the Creator and because of the blood of His Son that was spilled for our sake. How often do we forget this as Christians when we look at those in this world without Christ? It is easy to see God’s reflection in a newborn infant or an innocent toddler, but do we think the same thing when we look at those who truly drive this culture: celebrities, musical megastars, porn stars, film directors, entertainment tycoons? It seems a little more difficult for most Christians to look at Marilyn Manson or Eminem and see a child of God… but it isn’t any less true. We would rather boycott and picket than pray for them. Yet Christ died for them like He died for all of humanity. And who is it that the hurting, angry, questioning youth of this generation flock to for solace? It is these cultural forces that we flinch away from as if they are not human. These are the movers and shakers of our world—not politicians, legislators, teachers, or clergy—whether we like it or not. Where they go our society follows. And fear of this reality is what causes us to draw a line in the sand, behind which we point our fingers, scream words of “repentance” and try to hope our way into a safer society for our children.

A major problem lies within this approach: there is no “them and us” when it comes to the love of God. There are no lost causes except in the minds of Christians caught up unknowingly in the trap of arrogance, fear, and lies. We recognize that these stars hold sway over society even more than politicians and we get scared. We see the evil, the deception, the darkness, the immorality and we feel cornered so we lash out. What would happen if we prayed for them? What if we looked through all the darkness and saw the injured, depressed, broken, and questioning child of God? What if we got into their stories and prayed with purpose for those who hold such sway over our youth, our pop culture, and ultimately our society as a whole. We need not lash out; we need to listen. We need to pray between the lines of what is being shown if we truly believe that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. We don’t do this out of arrogance, but out of genuine compassion and love. We do not patronize or look down our noses because we follow Christ. We must remember that we are all broken without the love and grace of Christ. We instead should look these stories, these people, these beloved creations of God in the eyes and pray with intensity and passion that God would move on their behalf.