A short while ago, I got a call from a young man who used to go to high school with my older daughter. Our house has always been open to my daughters' friends, and this young man used to hang out and talk with my family quite often. He had some problems at home, and we were kind of like a second family to him. He especially seemed to enjoy talking to me about rock music. He was a nice kid who grew up going to church and the local Christian high school, but his Christian upbringing never really impacted the way he lived his life. 

He was so excited when he called me, he could hardly contain himself. The night before he had met Eddie Vedder at a local taco shop, and they had spent most of the night talking. (For those who have been in a cave for the last decade, Eddie Vedder is the lead vocalist for Pearl Jam, one of the best-selling bands of the '90s). Vedder graduated from a local San Diego North County high school in the '80s, and can occasionally still be found surfing and hanging out with the locals. This night, this young man was one of the locals. 

I asked my excited friend if he had shared Jesus with Vedder. He hadn't, but he did ask him if he knew what would happen after he died. Vedder said he that would simply rot and worms would eat him. After listening to my young friend share a few more details of his time with Vedder, I asked what he thought about his rock star, now that he had the chance to see him up close. His response surprised me. "I thought he was shallow. He doesn't have any answers. I thought a big star like that would have deep insight on life! He really is empty." Remember, this response came from a kid who wasn't living for Jesus, and yet he could still see how empty his "hero" was without Christ. 

This conversation caused me to think about all the rock stars and entertainers who have been such a major influence on our families. For the most part, they are lost like Vedder and in need of a Savior. If you listen to their songs and evaluate their movies and television programs, you can see a hopelessness that is crying out for an answer. In the '60s, when the Beatles were writing songs like, "Help," "I'm A Loser," and "Nowhere Man," they were judged and condemned by the majority of Christians. Can you imagine what a positive influence they could have been if someone had answered their cries for help with a valid Gospel message instead of simply judging their lost condition?

As we evaluate today's entertainers, let's try to see them as God sees them: as lost souls in need of a Savior. When we hear the new Pearl Jam album, or see a Marilyn Manson video, or watch Dawson's Creek on TV, let's do more than cluck our tongue and point our finger in judgement. Let's pray that the bonds of Satan would be loosed from their lives so they would be open to the Gospel of Jesus. This month, let's pray specifically that Eddie Vedder would understand the grace and peace of Christ that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). And maybe one day if you meet him, or one of the other "heroes" of this generation, at the local taco stand or at the beach, they will be open to listening to you share the love of Jesus Christ.