I Was Here

Beyonce has a new music video that’s creating a little bit of buzz in the Tweet and blogosphere. The video begins with white words fading onto a black screen:

August 19, 2012
World Humanitarian Day

One day, one message, one goal. To inspire people all over the world to do something good, no matter how big or small, for someone else.

Then Beyonce walks onto a stage and begins to sing, “I Was Here,” a song about making a difference and leaving your mark.

(click here if you don’t see the embedded video)

Her voice and the visuals are indeed inspiring. Young people today want to make a difference and are responding even more than generations prior. Beyonce’s message is resonating with this generation.

I have just one question: Is that really the mark we want to leave?

“I was here.”

I’m not disrespecting Beyonce, World Humanitarian Day, or any of these efforts. I’m thrilled to see anyone who attempts to inspire others to do good. But I would challenge followers of Christ to ask themselves, “Is my goal to leave my signature, my mark, my legacy… or to serve in His name?” As much as it would be nice for people to remember Jonathan McKee was a nice guy who gave a lot of money to the poor… wouldn’t it be better if when they looked at me, they saw Him?

“He was here.”

In II Corintians 4:5 Paul writes, “We don’t preach ourselves, we preach Christ the Lord.” He goes on to write, “All we can say about ourselves is what Christ did for us.”

Are we teaching our children to reflect Christ… or leave their mark?