Hobnobbing With the Rich and Famous

Have you ever thought of driving directly to the White House, going straight
to the front door and having immediate access to the President?

Imagine driving along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., turning into the driveway at 1600 and proceeding through the security gate without even having to acknowledge the military personnel standing guard at the entrance.

You park in front of the White House, knock on the front door and announce you’re there to see the President. You’re immediately invited in and escorted directly to the Oval Office, where the President waits eagerly for you. No pomp, no circumstance.

No way, you say?

Or consider this: You decide you’d like to meet and hang out with Bill Gates, multibillionaire founder of Microsoft, or corporate magnate Warren Buffett. Wouldn’t it be nice to arrive unannounced, then proceed straight to their office where you’re greeted without preliminaries or formalities?

Not big on business tycoons? Well, think of your favorite actor (male or female – political correctness says women aren’t to be called “actresses” anymore). Or your favorite singer or entertainer. Or your favorite athlete. Envision any one of them, and then imagine being able to meet them, without having to endure a screening process or dealing with a protective administrative assistant or intermediary.

Again, you’re still thinking, “No way.”

Everyone knows you can’t get access to important, famous individuals without some complicated procedure. Few are granted the privilege of meeting such people personally. You need an “in,” a contact within the person’s entourage that can arrange such a meeting. Even then, you know it will be extremely brief, kind of a “nice to meet you, now be on your way” type of encounter.

Their status makes “stars” virtually untouchable. You can’t just “hobnob” with the rich and famous – they’re sheltered in a protective bubble. They can’t be bothered by the common man. “If you want to meet me, read my book. Or buy my album. Watch me on TV or in the movies. Send a request, and if you’re lucky, someone will arrange to send you an autographed photo – maybe my real autograph.”

We know the rules, the protocol. As much as we’d like being up close and personal with our favorite famous folks, we understand that likelihood is only slightly better than our sprouting wings and flying around the world.

But there's one exception – one rich, very famous person with whom instant, unrestricted access is possible. In fact, it’s promised. That “person” is God, the Creator of the universe, the one who owns “the cattle on a thousand hills,” according to Psalm 50:10. We don’t have to finagle our way through an AAA (angelic administrative assistant).

An intermediary was in fact necessary, but all the preliminary work has been done. Ephesians 3:12 declares, “In (Christ) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Expanding on that, Hebrews 4:16 states, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Just as the children of the President of the United States or the child of an entertainment superstar would have access not available to anyone else, God is always ready to welcome His children without red tape. Our prayers and petitions are never put on hold.

And it’s all because of what Jesus did on our behalf, more than 20 centuries ago. That’s good to remember at this time of year.