American Idol starts a new season very soon. My wife and I began watching this show a couple of years ago when our two youngest kids started showing an interest in it.

Got to admit that before watching this television phenomenon, I was extremely skeptical ... downright cynical. Being a veteran of the music biz (retail, wholesale, performing), I've watched pop music become one more commodity for the American entertainment consumer, and I, for one, wanted no part of the idol-making machine.

But I got hooked and enjoyed watching the show with my family, rolling my eyes during Simon's over-the-top critiques, chuckling at Paula's fawning reverse fandom, and smiling at Randy's innocent "dawg" attitude. Seemed harmless enough to me.

Drivel? Sure but sweet drivel.

Then came news of the suicide of a former contestant outside Paula's house, and I got this really creepy feeling I'd repressed. Some people desire fame and stardom like junkies crave heroin. An insatiable appetite for "me-ism" leads some less-than-stable personalities to do some strange things.

And this addiction isn't confined to the music business or even the entertainment world. How about politics? religion? sports? Wall Street? A recent suicide related to the Maddoff scandal should shake all people — especially people of faith — into the realization that the love of money is a very real evil. One cannot serve both Mammon and God.

This week, I'm anticipating watching my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC playoff game, but as much as I like watching my hometown team, I know too much about professional sports and players to think for a minute they are demi-gods come down from Mount Olympus for my delight. Flawed, frail men (and women) take to the arena and, like the Romans before us, we cheer as they wrack their bodies into one another. Heinz Field, the Coliseum ... not a whole lot of difference, really.

Which brings me to stars, specifically The Star the magi followed. St. Matthew probably included this story in his gospel as a portent to the inclusion of non-Jews (gentiles, pagans) into God's covenant incarnated in the Christ.

Heck, if Persian astrologers (magi) worship him, imagine the possibilities! These dudes risked a lot, what with Herod running amok killing newborns.

"C'mon back y'all, hear?"

No way. They hightailed it out of town faster than you can say "Tom Cruise's new movie will bomb." Who knows who they told about the newborn? Who knows what they said?

St. Matthew wanted his readers to know that Herod (the imperious religious leader) was not the star of the show. That star was a newborn who would grow up and bring down the likes of Herod and countless other bloodthirsty leaders religious and political.

In each generation, there are Herods who attempt to outshine the Christ, and in each generation Christ incarnated in the church stands up to violence and bigotry.

Tuesday was Epiphany, but don't look up to the sky for the signs of wonder. Look around, look inside yourself for the signs of new birth, new life, new hope. Look for the light that will always dispel the darkness.

Epiphany is from the Greek and means "to be manifest." God made manifest the Christ to these non-Jewish magicians. But more importantly these pagans revealed the Christ to the world. They refused to listen to Herod and discerned that this good news needed to be shared with the world. Isn't that the calling for all people of faith — to be a magi in a world of idols?

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Doug Gebhard is interim pastor for John Calvin Presbyterian Church.

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