Paris Hilton and the Bible

Christian bloggers steer clear of celebrity mention because, well, there usually isn't much worth mentioning that the mainstream media doesn't cover (ad nauseum). And whenever we do drop in a line or two, I've noticed we feel the need to qualify why we are doing so. Interesting, that.

It is without apology that I mention a celebrity that we haven't been able to avoid for the past four days--Paris Hilton. Miss Hilton is the subject of scorn by the vast majority of over-25-year-olds, and let's face it: there just hasn't been much to admire. We nod in affirmation of Ann Coultor's description of Miss Hilton as a "talentless nitwit." But as Christians, the sort of sneering scorn we think or say grieves our Lord, who never scorned anyone in that way.

Paris Hilton is a young woman with a maturity deficit, the residual effect of really bad parenting. She is encouraged by those around her who lust after the money and fame she brings near to them, and by the media, which have led her to believe she actually offers something more than air-time filler and good paychecks for seedy papparazzi. Now Miss Hilton is facing a difficulty that no one can get her out of, and, given the short life she's led, quite naturally she is falling apart. Are we sneering at that fact too? This young woman needs our prayers, not more of our scorn. She is lost--whether in jail or at home on house arrest sipping martinis in her hot tub.

I think now is an especially good time to pray for Miss Hilton. She was seen carrying a Bible after learning that jail time was pending, and, of course, much mockery was made of this fact. And her mockers may be right--perhaps it was all for show. But how do we know? How can we judge? Her money and fame and societal advantages don't make her less lost. If anything, she is, according to Jesus' teaching, one of the camels who can't fit through the eye of a needle.

Last night Miss Hilton spoke to one of the talkshow hosts and claimed she is seeking God. She has with her a Bible and some other "spiritual" books, and she has requested a "spiritual advisor." More scorn, naturally, and a lot of it from the evangelical camp. But shame on us. It's not like Miss Hilton actually knows where to get hold of sound doctrine, or even what sound doctrine is. She's taking what's in front of her. But does that make her soul searching any less real? We cannot know.

What we do know is that for the first time in her sorry life, she is facing something for which no amount of daddy's money, or photographers' cameras, or drugs and alcohol, or sexual debauchery can provide an escape. Returning to jail last week in handcuffs, crying out for her mother, and visibly shaking are all indicative of the sort of breaking process that does cause people--all types of people--to question the meaning of a previously meaningless lifestyle.

Being sent to jail is the best thing that has ever happened to Paris Hilton. "God is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." Who are we to exempt Paris Hilton from inclusion in the psalmist's declaration? I admit I have been among the Paris Hilton scorners--the sneering ones--and I must also admit that I'll be utterly surprised if her spiritual quest continues once her sentence is served. A bit of skepticism is understandable; cynicism is not.