This past Sunday, I went with my family to see the newly-released film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a film that examines the relationship between beloved children’s television host Mister Rogers (portrayed here by renowned film actor Tom Hanks), and a journalist (played by Matthew Rhys) who is tasked with writing an article after interviewing him.

This is the second film to be released about Fred Rogers in the past two years, with the first one being Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, a documentary about the origins of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the show Rogers created and produced for more than thirty years.

Fred Rogers and his long-running television program has recently enjoyed a sort of revival, beginning in heartbreak with the shocking Sandy Hook school shooting in late 2012. Parents were struggling for answers to explain to their children and families as to how best support each other in that difficult time.

A quote began surfacing online and quickly went viral – words of wisdom from Mister Rogers himself:

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.

Fred Rogers

That was sound and simple advice: Look for the helpers. Indeed, that quote was used as motivation for those who were left without words. Tributes poured in. Blood and monetary donations were offered. Everyone who could try to do his or her own part to offer solace and comfort for those affected by the tragedy did so.

When the next tragedy struck, the same quote began to float around again, which also helped encourage people to once again reach out and help out where they could.

Rinse and repeat.

The more the quote resurfaced with each tragedy (and generally when times were difficult, such as the current divide in the United States politically, among other current events), the more people my age and older looked fondly on the videos and photographs shared of this gentle soul who told us all it was okay to be frightened. That it was okay to be angry. It was what we did with those feelings that made all the difference.

It’s a message that we still need to practice and to preach on a regular basis, if the current cynicism in our society is any indication.

However, there was something else that I noticed as Fred Rogers began to grow in popularity in this past decade. More and more people were beginning to place him on a pedestal – unreachable by our current moral standing. Some people began to call him a saint; others called for a new religion to be created in his name.

I don’t think any of this is how Fred Rogers would want to be remembered.

In fact, in the film, Joanne Rogers explains to the main character (and to the audience) that to call Fred a saint would mean his way of living and caring would feel unreachable to other people.

The same can be said about other popular figures in our culture that people remember fondly, who have had a positive impact in their lives.

They remember Bob Ross’ gentle voice and brush strokes, and how he could turn any mistake he made into a work of art.

They remember Steve Irwin and his expertise with animals, sharing his passion with others in order to educate about their environment and how to care and preserve them.

More and more names are added to this list of popular saints that our society has decided to elevate, all because they remember them fondly from a time when life seemed much simpler for them.

That’s what our culture believes what a saint is. However, the Bible is clear that in God’s eyes, we are all called to be saints.

Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Psalm 31:23 (ESV)

Other ways the word ‘saints‘ is translated in the Bible is ‘godly ones’ or ‘faithful ones.’ That’s all people who confess their sins and put their trust in Christ to be their Lord and Savior. In the Biblical regard, being a saint is not an impossible feat at all, but one we are all called to be as believers.

I am still guilty sometimes of still thinking that I am not a saint; that there are other people more worthy of that title than I could ever be.

That’s not how God sees me though. Although I am not worthy of His mercy, because I am a sinner, God chose instead to die in my stead because He loved me. Just as He loves you, and every other person. When we accept this gift of mercy, we are His saints – which means we are consecrated (or set apart) to God.

When I remember that this gift is offered to us freely, it helps me understand that I don’t need to be perfect or earn my way to be a saint. He already sees me as one, along with all brothers and sisters who accept this gift.

Does that mean we shouldn’t look up to Fred Rogers? Or all these other celebrities that our culture tends to idolize, if not respect? Of course not! I believe we can take something from each of these figures that we could implement in our own lives.

We can learn to accept our mistakes instead of trying to erase them, like Bob Ross did. In doing so, we can actually create or do great things that may even exceed our expectations.

We can learn to take care of our environment and nurture creation, as God tasked us with from the very beginning. We can help animals who have been injured and help rehabilitate them, like Steve Irwin did, as well as educate each other of the wonders of God’s creation.

And what of Mister Rogers? What can we take away from his life and his work, without putting him on a pedestal? I think this quote from him sums up his passion the best:

“As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has- or ever will have- something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.”

Fred Rogers

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Thank you so much for reading! Do you agree that our culture elevates figures too easily and too much? Please let me know what you think – I would love to hear from you!