Farewell to a Princess

Princess Diana was arguably the most celebrated figure of the 90's. From her wedding to her death she captured the hearts of billions of individuals around the world. From the very moment of her fatal accident in Paris, the world began recounting the accomplishments of this remarkable lady. Yet there seems to be a thin veil of selfishness in much of the eulogizing of Princess Diana.

Princess Diana symbolized victory and success for billions of people around the world. When she was killed, many people displayed their emotional consumption of Diana. Suddenly their idealized icon had been ripped from their lives. They experienced a sense of loss that goes far beyond what they should experience. Why?

I believe the reason for this is because people have placed all of their hopes, dreams, and aspirations in one individual. Princess Diana symbolized the success story many people wish they had. They identify more with "what" Diana was rather than "who" she was. This is made evident by the fact that most of the people who are mourning her passing have neither met nor spoken with her. Their entire relationship with Diana is based exclusively upon whatever media attention she was given. When her life was senselessly extinguished, the "things" that Diana symbolized were extinguished in the lives of these people.

The center of focus for many is not Diana, but what she has accomplished or achieved. This is intensified by the fact that Diana was always in the news, but Diana, the person, was not the real attraction. Women focused on the darling princess who was brutalized by Charles the beast. They relate to her misery through the "beast" in their own relationships. They admire Diana for not giving up, for continuing to move ahead against tremendous odds. Men focused on the sweetness, simplicity, and charm of a lady they could only dream of having. They looked to her as being for them what others around them could not or would not be.

I think people need this type of escape, but I also believe that one must guard against taking the experience too far by personalizing emotional attachment beyond that which it really is; an emotion escape. We all need our heroes, but heroes are frail and temporal. Only Christ is eternally our hero. Only Jesus is deserving of our unfailing devotion and support.

I exhort you to observe the real tragedy very closely. I guarantee you will be able to observe two things over the next several months.

1. Those who are currently so devastated by the tragic loss of Princess Diana will very quickly replace her with another individual to be used as a reality substitute. They will identify with the "things" of the new person's life just as they did with Princess Diana.

2. Only a thimbleful of individuals will demonstrate anything beyond the basest consumption of a celebrity by taking up the gauntlet she relinquished. Few, indeed, will be the number of people who take up her work with children, aids, etc. This will be the true test of devotion and fidelity to this brave lady. Just as many followed Jesus around during his earthly ministry and feigned admiration for him and his work, there were only a meager few who followed in his footsteps and carried on in his work.

That is our perspective, what is yours?

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Last modified: Tuesday January 16, 2007 08:41:25 AM -0800