*Warning: Foul language is referenced in a quote.Megan Fox Curses Christians
Last week at the premier of Jennifer’s Body, the star of the dark comedy film, Megan Fox (of Transformers and Mean Girls) publicly complained about Christians who used to “bully” her when she attended a Christian middle school years ago, before she became famous. She talked about how she chose to eat her lunch in the bathroom instead of in the cafeteria in order to hide from those who picked on her, and she explained how the Christian girls at the school were cliquish and did not like her. As the crowd listened to Fox, someone yelled, “I’m sorry!” (just after Fox had confessed to going to a ‘Christian’ school), and Fox snapped back, “Me too! It’s okay! F**k ‘em!”
I happen to know that Fox is not lying or exaggerating when she talks about being bullied at a Christian school. It’s because I was hired as the campus pastor at that very school a few years after Fox had left to attend public school – before ultimately leaving the public school to pursue her acting career. Fox’s former classmates were my students, and I actually witnessed many of my “Christian” female students degrade Fox and pick her apart, per se – and this even after Fox had been gone for a few years. They were judgmental to the highest degree, and I surmised that many of these girls were incredibly jealous of Fox for a number of reasons (perhaps her looks and acting successes being the utmost).
While I was the campus pastor at this Christian school (in Port St. Lucie, Florida, by the way), a male student who had graduated the year before I had arrived died in a car wreck; this student had been one of Fox’s boyfriends in the past. The funeral was held at the church that operated the school, and Megan Fox actually flew in from California to be there. It was all I could do to get students to stop talking about her in the days that followed the funeral. The female students had a field day with her! – They constantly talked about how “terrible” Fox was, and they said many horrible things about her, the least of which was “I bet she only came to the funeral to make an appearance and rub [her success] in our faces!” But little do they know that when the funeral was completed, Fox walked into her former youth pastor’s office at the church and had a heart-to-heart discussion with him about life and her desire to “get back on the right track” (as it was told to me by the youth pastor, who I worked with).
Obviously, Fox’s “desire to get back on the right track” was short lived. Maybe this is partially because of “Christians” who rubbed her the wrong way, lambasted her, judged her, and jealously hated her. All I know is this: If the Christ-followers who were around her when she was at the Christian school had lovingly befriended her, which is what Christ calls us to do, instead of hating on her and bullying her, perhaps Fox would not be where she is today – making trash movies and using expletives to describe her thoughts towards Christians. While it’s true that everyone makes their own decisions (and I’m not trying to take away from Fox’s own role in going down the wrong path in life, when she knows better), Christians are likewise to blame for not setting their own pride and selfishness aside (cliques and all) and reaching out to her as they should have.
As you can imagine, I told my students this very thing (explained above) – and, fortunately, many of them agreed with me. This led to an idea I had to start an initiative in the cafeteria on Fridays that I called, ‘Freelance Fridays” – where students were challenged and encouraged to sit away from their friends during lunch, and to instead sit with people they didn’t know so well. This was a maneuver that I had hoped would help prevent the formation of nasty cliques and promote healthy relationships between students that would prevent students (similar to Fox) from feeling like they must eat their lunch in the bathroom. I pushed this “Freelance Friday” idea with the Bible’s Paul as the primary example. Paul said, “I make myself a slave to everyone … I have become all things to all people… so that I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). I am happy to tell you that the initiative was a success; God used many students (who were willing to step out of their comfort zone, put themselves aside, and reach out to others) to befriend other students and draw them closer to Christ in the process!
Will you put yourself aside for the sake of others? Will you show Christ to non-Christians, or will you embitter them with your judgmental and negative attitudes towards them? Will you “Freelance” and choose to become all things to all people … in order that, in so doing, God will use you to win some? Think about the people around you (your neighbors, your classmates, your coworkers) – will you watch them end up like Megan Fox, or will you be the light of the world – the city on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16) – pointing them towards Christ?
I happen to know that Fox is not lying or exaggerating when she talks about being bullied at a Christian school. It’s because I was hired as the campus pastor at that very school a few years after Fox had left to attend public school – before ultimately leaving the public school to pursue her acting career. Fox’s former classmates were my students, and I actually witnessed many of my “Christian” female students degrade Fox and pick her apart, per se – and this even after Fox had been gone for a few years. They were judgmental to the highest degree, and I surmised that many of these girls were incredibly jealous of Fox for a number of reasons (perhaps her looks and acting successes being the utmost).
While I was the campus pastor at this Christian school (in Port St. Lucie, Florida, by the way), a male student who had graduated the year before I had arrived died in a car wreck; this student had been one of Fox’s boyfriends in the past. The funeral was held at the church that operated the school, and Megan Fox actually flew in from California to be there. It was all I could do to get students to stop talking about her in the days that followed the funeral. The female students had a field day with her! – They constantly talked about how “terrible” Fox was, and they said many horrible things about her, the least of which was “I bet she only came to the funeral to make an appearance and rub [her success] in our faces!” But little do they know that when the funeral was completed, Fox walked into her former youth pastor’s office at the church and had a heart-to-heart discussion with him about life and her desire to “get back on the right track” (as it was told to me by the youth pastor, who I worked with).
Obviously, Fox’s “desire to get back on the right track” was short lived. Maybe this is partially because of “Christians” who rubbed her the wrong way, lambasted her, judged her, and jealously hated her. All I know is this: If the Christ-followers who were around her when she was at the Christian school had lovingly befriended her, which is what Christ calls us to do, instead of hating on her and bullying her, perhaps Fox would not be where she is today – making trash movies and using expletives to describe her thoughts towards Christians. While it’s true that everyone makes their own decisions (and I’m not trying to take away from Fox’s own role in going down the wrong path in life, when she knows better), Christians are likewise to blame for not setting their own pride and selfishness aside (cliques and all) and reaching out to her as they should have.
As you can imagine, I told my students this very thing (explained above) – and, fortunately, many of them agreed with me. This led to an idea I had to start an initiative in the cafeteria on Fridays that I called, ‘Freelance Fridays” – where students were challenged and encouraged to sit away from their friends during lunch, and to instead sit with people they didn’t know so well. This was a maneuver that I had hoped would help prevent the formation of nasty cliques and promote healthy relationships between students that would prevent students (similar to Fox) from feeling like they must eat their lunch in the bathroom. I pushed this “Freelance Friday” idea with the Bible’s Paul as the primary example. Paul said, “I make myself a slave to everyone … I have become all things to all people… so that I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). I am happy to tell you that the initiative was a success; God used many students (who were willing to step out of their comfort zone, put themselves aside, and reach out to others) to befriend other students and draw them closer to Christ in the process!
Will you put yourself aside for the sake of others? Will you show Christ to non-Christians, or will you embitter them with your judgmental and negative attitudes towards them? Will you “Freelance” and choose to become all things to all people … in order that, in so doing, God will use you to win some? Think about the people around you (your neighbors, your classmates, your coworkers) – will you watch them end up like Megan Fox, or will you be the light of the world – the city on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16) – pointing them towards Christ?
