Imitators

One of my favorite things to do is to attend live music performances. I honestly enjoy nearly every genre of music, and I especially enjoy watching artists perform on stage. I try to take every chance I get to go to live performances and I really like it when I have the opportunity to go to a venue and/or a type of performance that I have never been to before. Recently, I had this opportunity.

Christy and I, along with two other couples, went to Star Wars: In Concert at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. The show itself consisted of a symphony orchestra and choir performing selections from the original score of the Star Wars movies, an amazing light and effects show, and a gigantic digital screen that played movie clips corresponding with the music being played. All of this, obviously, was extremely well done and impressive.

But, Star Wars: In Concert was more than just a show. It was also a traveling "museum." Star Wars movie props and costumes were put on display throughout the arena. So, fans of the movies were given the opportunity to see things that they would normally only see on the big screen.

Obviously, with the type of following that Star Wars has, this type of an event brings out all kinds of fans. I'd like to specifically focus on one type of fan - the super fan. There were, in the crowd, many super fans. These are the people who are so into Star Wars that they came to the show dressed as their favorite character.

We are all familiar with people like this. We see them at them at the Renaissance Fair, dressed as knights, monks, or as inaccurate as it may be, elves and hobbits. We see them at ComiCon dressed as their favorite super hero. We see them at the Star Trek conventions, speaking Klingon or wearing Spock ears.

Countless sit-coms have spent time poking fun at this behavior. What comes to my mind immediately is one of my favorite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory. These are the types of characters you expect to be fans of this nature.

I started to think about this behavior after the Star Wars concert. These are adults who are so passionate about these movies that they find it necessary and enjoyable to publicly, and most likely privately, imitate their favorite characters. But then, a few questions popped into my mind.

Would these people imitate these characters anywhere besides an event like this? Sure, it's easy to dress up like a Jedi and walk around an event that is dedicated to the glorification of the Star Wars saga. But, would that same guy dress up like a Jedi at any other time? Maybe on Halloween. Maybe when going to the movie in the theater. But would he do it while shopping at Wal-Mart on a Tuesday? Would he do it at his job?

Actually, some people may be comfortable imitating these characters everywhere. But I would bet that most of these people only do it in situations where it is socially acceptable. Whether you imitate Renaissance people, Sci-fi characters, or superheros, I am sure that most would only do it in the "appropriate" settings. Doing so elsewhere would result in extreme ridicule from the rest of the world. It would result in an immediate "freak" label to be applied.

It's interesting how this translates to those of us who follow Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2 reads, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

I would venture to say that many of us who claim to follow Jesus only really imitate God in locations and situations where it is acceptable. We're probably really good at imitating God at a church service, at a small group Bible study, around other Jesus followers. It's easy to do it there. It's acceptable. But do we imitate God while shopping at Wal-mart on Tuesday? Do we imitate God at our jobs?

Imitating God outside of the acceptable arenas of our life might result in ridicule from the rest of the world. It might result in the "freak" label to be applied.

I think we can learn a lesson from the guy who is willing to dress up like Obi-Wan and carry a toy light sabre despite the fact that it's not Halloween, he's not at a Star Wars event, and there is no apparent reason for it.

What a different place this world would be if followers of Jesus actually imitated God every second of every day.