While some folks idolize Taylor Swift, this week I found that I idolized C.S. Lewis. Yes, I’m weird. While reading a book that shows the human side of Lewis, I saw him in truth. It portrayed him as a chain smoker and a slob. Not a very pretty picture. I would dare say that any truthful account of Taylor Swift would be no more flattering. 

We love to make people our heroes. We have them on a pedestal in our minds and sometimes on our T-shirts. We pay enough to feed a small country to go see them perform. We are a country obsessed with our heroes and they occupy every walk of life. They may be dancers, singers, politicians, talk-show hosts, athletes, theologians, firefighters, influencers, health care workers, preachers, world leaders or John Wayne. They are everywhere!

There would be a tongue-lashing for anyone who pointed out the ordinary flaws in our hero. While the rest of us are quite unremarkable with hangups and habits, loving the wrong things, we get defensive; not wanting to admit the human frailties of our idol. You know never to smack talk that one person to your significant other. Don’t be smack-talking Elvis! You just don’t go there for the sake of sanity. 

Who is your person on a pedestal? Who do you follow? What if you took off the rosy celebrity glasses? What if you were honest? What if you saw that each is only a struggling human with hangups and habits just like yours? Would that be too deflating? That is how I felt while reading of the chain-smoking C.S. Lewis. But this, I believe, was a step in the right direction. When all of the pedestals in our life are knocked down we are able to get a clearer view. Maybe we will be able to see that there is only One who deserves that pedestal. And we crucified Him.