When Jesus realised that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (John 6:15)

Clearly, Jesus does not subscribe to the dictum ‘no publicity is bad publicity’. As he says later in John’s Gospel his ‘kingdom is not of this world’. He eschews personal fame because he is doing his Father’s will and works. Jesus’ antidote to the lure of fame is to seek solitude – inferring that he would pray. This passage makes me wonder, ‘how easily am I seduced by fame?’

In an interconnected world that feeds and is fed by social media, young people can see being ‘liked’ as crucial. Yet we see again and again how celebrities are ‘burned’ by the bright lights – in one way or another. We do well to encourage the young people in our care to discover and use their God-given gifts and be true to themselves. In so doing they will be doing God’s will. There is nothing wrong with fame that comes from goodness, but fame is not an end in itself.

Have a great week…and break!
Patrick