Tag Archives: celebrities

Celebrities are people too, Part Two

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fabricio_oberto_encourages_his_teammates_v_ind_102505_560A few months ago, I started using the service Twitter (I’ll write more about that some other time). I discovered that Fabricio Oberto, an NBA player that is from the province of Córdoba in Argentina, publishes on Twitter. I started reading what he writes. (following him, as they say on Twitter)

Not soon after, Fabricio wrote something that wasn’t right. I sent him a message with the right info, and he wrote back, thanking me. “Wow!” I thought, “This NBA player actually wrote to me.”

The Argentine soccer team had a game on Saturday against Colombia. On Saturday morning, Fabricio posted a comment about the game. I sent him a message saying “Go Argentina!” He wrote back saying, “It should be a good game.” Again, I was thrilled. But I was also trying to find the game on TV and couldn’t find it anywhere. So I decided to ask Fabricio. “Channel 457,” he wrote back, “Pay per view.” I was pleased that he was corresponding, but also knew that I couldn’t pay $30 to watch a game. I tried to find the right way to say that to a guy that earns millions playing basketball. He immediately wrote back to tell me the website where I could see the game. Really nice of him. “Wow!” I thought, “This NBA player took the time to help me.”

Yesterday I saw that Fabricio had a heart treatment last week. I knew he’d had heart problems ever since a collision in a game a couple of years ago. I remembered what I wrote a few weeks ago, that celebrities are people too, so I wrote him and said that we would pray for him. He wrote back to say thank you.

If you get a chance, offer a prayer for Fabricio. He seems like a nice guy from a small town in the Córdoba hills. (His dad sells tractor equipment, if I remember right) Interestingly enough, one of his relatives that lives in the city of Córdoba was contacted through Let’s Start Talking and continues to study with Jacquie Mitchell at the church in Córdoba. Go ahead and pray for the whole family. Famous people need Jesus too.

Celebrities are people, too

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Mark CubanWhen we came back to the United States, I became a fan of the NBA. Well, of the San Antonio Spurs. It was hard not to, living near San Antonio. Over time, I developed a deep dislike for the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. He’s loud. He’s profane. He’s a poor sport. I could go on and on.

The other day I was about to post on the Internet about what a jerk I think he is. That’s when I realized something else about him.

He’s made in the image of God. He’s someone for whom Jesus died.

I tend to see celebrities as if they were characters in a movie, fictional entities. They don’t have families. They don’t have feelings. They only exist for me to cheer and boo. I don’t see them as real people.

God does. Whether I do or not, God does. Celebrities are people, too. More than that, celebrities need God as much as anyone else does.

Mr. Cuban, I hope that you come to know God. If you already know him, I pray that you will allow him to guide and affect your life. My Savior died for you, just as he did for me. And I am in need of his grace, just as much as you are. I hope that I can always remember these things. Even when I get caught up in the passion of sports.