Turn the Spotlight on Me

As your spiritual teacher I, by the grace God gave me, give this advice to each one of you. Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all. For just as you have many members in one physical body and those members differ in their functions, so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members to one another. Romans 12:3-5 Phillips Translation

Where would Batman be without Robin? How would Sherlock Holmes solve murder cases without Dr. Watson? What would have happened to the Winslow family without their nerdy neighbor, Steve Urkel? Andy Griffin needed his Barney Fife, Cheers wouldn’t have been the same without Frasier, and mischievous Uncle Fester spiced up the Addams Family.

Can you imagine a world without those iconic sidekicks? They are secondary characters who somehow ingrained themselves into our hearts and often stole the spotlight from the main character.  Playing second fiddle has never been easy and definitely goes against the most recent cultural phenomenon called “Main Character Syndrome.” The term didn’t originate from a university psychology department, but rather from social media, especially TikTok.

What is “Main Character Syndrome (MCS)?” It is not a clinical diagnosis but popularized by social media platforms. Anna Gotlib, an associate professor of philosophy, defines it as, “MCS is a tendency to view one’s life as a story in which one stars in the central role, with everyone else a side character at best. Only the star’s perspectives, desires, loves, hatreds, and opinions matter, while those of others in supporting roles are relegated to the periphery of awareness. Main characters act while everyone else reacts. Main characters demand attention, and the rest of us had better obey.” (Aeon Newsletter)

Though the term is a recent addition to our language, the concept is as old as time. Paul understood well the MCS of his days when writing in Romans, “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance.” Today’s social media platforms feed the motivation to be adored and loved, but throughout time, the same motivation has been part of humanity.

The Old Testament is filled with MCS performers. King Saul stood head and shoulders above the average man, yet was filled with jealousy and suspicion. When the women came out to greet the King and his men after a battle, they were singing the newest hit song, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” This didn’t go over well with King Saul since he “was very angry…They have credited David with tens of thousands, “he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” (I Samuel 18:7-8)

King Nebuchadnezzar was a classic MCS and had every reason to be proud. He was the most powerful man at the time, leading the nation of Babylon to annihilate all opposition. Who could blame him when he proclaimed, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty.” (Daniel 4:30) The King got a quick lesson on the reality of MCS when God removed him from center stage.

The challenge of spiritual MCS impacts even those who have walked with Jesus for years. James and John, two of his closest disciples, asked if they could take the two places of highest authority. They were so focused on the “me” factor that they forgot what it really meant to be the greatest. “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

The challenge of Main Character Syndrome doesn’t just impact the YouTubers, TikTokers, or being “Instagrammable.” It is for anyone who breathes air and gets out of bed in the morning. It is an even greater challenge for those who seek to follow God and make their life a reflection of their faith in Jesus. MCS is not a puzzle to solve but a lifestyle decision to bring constantly before God. “The most spiritually dangerous kind of idolatry is idolatry of the heart.” (Paul David Tripp). An idol of the heart is anything we let rule our hearts instead of God, especially ourselves.

British pastor Pete Greig writes, “Main Character Syndrome (MCS) has become a popular trope on social media, describing the tendency to project myself as the most important person in any encounter and perceive myself as the central character in the movie of my life. I acknowledge how often I talk without really listening, how subtly I try to control my own environment, and how secretly I prioritise my own personal feelings and preferences as more important than those of other people.”

Jesus understood we would all face the temptation to be on center stage, so he gave the disciples a great life lesson that applies to us. “He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:36-37). What could be a better example than a child who was powerless, with no authority, and yet fills every home with life and energy?

There is nothing wrong with being on center stage if it focuses on God first, which will then naturally include all others. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)

God is great!