Keeping Up with Kim Kardashian

As I sit here typing, I am in a state of utter shock and disbelief. Controlling my emotions is difficult at times like this. Questions race through my mind: how could this be? what went wrong? It just didn't' seem like it would turn out like this.

Kim Kardashian filed for divorce.

Oh no. Now, after we peel away the sarcasm of the paragraph above, we're left to wonder what this new event is all about. I mean, how can a marriage, even one build on a superficial foundation, go wrong in all of 72 days?

Kim Kardashian has made her living by imaging herself. She IS a brand, and for some reason, our culture buys into her. People tune into her reality show; people buy the multitude of products she endorses; paparazzi follow her around and paste her picture on every supermarket tabloid. It is a highly crafted, maintained and polished exterior.

My guess, and this is pure speculation on my part for I do not watch her show or know much about her other than I see her face in a lot of places, is that this is part of her brand. A multi-million dollar princess wedding 72 days ago (with the TV and picture rights sold so she actually MADE money on the deal) to someone with a profile just high enough to make the wedding significant, but not high enough that anyone would care about what he has to say. She seems to be about the look, getting people to notice and tune in. Unadulterated identity in being seen. A narcissism made possible in our media crazed culture. Attention (and possible sympathy) brings viewers.

None of this is intended to impugn Kim. She is not a follower of Christ, and is doing exactly what one would expect. Seeking significance in something. Popularity is the source of her identity and her actions are perfectly consistent.

But, what this reminds me of is us. People in the church. Sometimes we are more concerned about the brand than about Christ. Looking like a follower rather than being a follower. Since we don't want to make a mistake and mess things up for Jesus, we clean up our lives ourselves. Thus, we ignore the Spirit, boil away grace and redemption and mystery and make discipleship all about our actions. Morality. Looking the part. Doing the right thing for everyone to see.

Carefully creating an image of what we think God's holiness looks like. Trying to live prosperous lives, not as Christ would define it, but as the culture would. We tell people everything is great and hid from view our tired marriage, parenting trials, addictions, and all other struggles that life in a fallen world throws our way. We've clothed ourselves in a holy exterior and hidden our brokenness. Image is everything. Spiritual narcissism.

Living out of our false identity in this way is exhausting. It's more about our effort than Christ's. It is a facade that must be maintained. Ultimately it causes the unchurched to tune us out because it is an inflated standard that they feel inadequate to keep.

We intimidate those outside with our carefully crafted, highly maintained, got-it-together looking exteriors.

It's all about appearances. Just like keeping up with the Kardashians.