Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame. Baseball players aim to get inducted into it. In music it's often called the lifetime achievement award. If you're a great research academic you probably want the Nobel prize. All of these mean you're at the top of your field.

This song by the Script featuring Will.i.am is about believing in yourself, reaching for the stars, aiming high, being famous, and doing it in whatever job you do or career you aspire to. 

The first verse rings with inspirational soundbites:

"You could be the greatest, you could be the best"

And later on:

"You could beat the world, you could beat the war.........you could move mountains"

It's a self-belief builder. The song challenges the listener to chase their dreams and go for it because you are:

"Never gonna know if you never even try"

It's not surprising this song was a hit. It was released in the year in which the people of this country felt most proud to be British, what with the Queen's Jubilee, Andy Murray reaching the Wimbledon final and the show-stoppingly spectacular Olympic games. It was a summer in which the doom and gloom of the recession faded away into the background as we basked in the sunshine of being a country with things to celebrate.

The song even continues with Olympic themes:

"You could go the distance, you could run the mile.......you could win the gold......you could be a champion"

Not only that but the bridge of the song makes this all inclusive. Pursue your goal in whatever field you want to:

"Be students, be teachers, be politicians, be preachers, be believers, be leaders, be astronauts, be champions, be truth-seekers" 

There is much to affirm. Being the best you can be is good thing. Using your talents and abilities to their maximum potential is to be commended and promoted.

But, the key thing is the heart attitude behind the ambition. The song suggests a few motives for chasing your dreams and reaching your goals:

"Do it for your people..........your pride........your country.........your name"

Although the refrain of the chorus rings most clearly, do this so that you will be;

"Standing in the hall of fame

And the world's gonna know your name

Cause you burn with the brightest flame

And the world's gonna know your name

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame"

In our world we idolize the rich and the famous, the outrageous and the intellectual. The popularity of reality TV shows in the last decade or so has only served to fuel the desire to have our 15 minutes of fame. You only have to watch the Apprentice to see that people will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it means being underhanded, trampling over other people, or just simply being manipulative.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that this song is promoting that kind of ambition or attitude. As I said there is much to affirm in the area of aiming as high as you can, using the gifts and abilities that you have and working hard. After all, the Bible quite clearly tells us that we should not just work hard when someone is watching us or to get our pay, Christians are called, in Colossians 3, to "work as unto the Lord" in everything.

But, this idea that if you:

"Dedicate yourself and you will find yourself"

And that this will lead you to status, reputation and a place in the hall of fame, is a dangerous one. It can quite easily lead, if this is the number one priority in your life, to you becoming self-centred, egotistical and driven to the exclusion of caring for others and having real relationships.

Interestingly enough the Bible also has a lot to say about what we live for. The writer of the book Ecclesiates concludes that money, pleasure, work etc are all meaningless as ends in themselves. They all look good, but ultimately when they are the thing we live for, they will let us down. His conclusion to the purpose of life is to "fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecc 12:13).

In the Bible's so-called "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11, those listed are not there for being brilliant in and of themselves. They include a drunk (Noah), a couple of murderers (Moses and David), a few liars (Abraham, David) and a prostitute (Rahab) and we read that the world did not esteem them. Don't get me wrong, many of them did good things and had respect of people, but most of them also lost everything and faced serious hardship for choosing to trust God.

They are there in the list, and will be remembered and honoured, because they looked outward to Another, Jesus Christ. They trusted in Him and shunned the riches of this world, the pleasures they could have had, the comfort they enjoyed, and many of them were killed, all because they were sure of what they hoped for and certain of what they could not see (Heb 11:1-2), a life beyond this world enjoying God forever.

This the "Hall" that I want to be in.

As always comments & discussion welcome. I know there were plenty of other themes I could have picked up, but there wasn't the time - or the space!