Passing Out Awards

While skipping around the satellite dish last night, I stumbled across yet ANOTHER award show. This is at least the third I have found this month, and we haven't even had the major award shows yet! These were presented by the Screen Actors Guild, or S. A. G. But unlike the Grammys or the Emmys, these awards were not called the Saggys -- that would have been much too fun! They were the "Actor Awards" and each presenter would give the nominees and say, "And the Actor goes to..." before reading the winner's name. Aside from that it looked like the same old celebrity love fest. At least with the musical award shows, we get a little entertainment between acceptance speeches and botched cue card readings.

So why does Hollywood, etc. have so many award shows? I'm assuming there are more which don't make the satellite dish anywhere (although that seems impossible). But what is the point? I have always heard that the awards are a chance to honor the person or persons who gave the best performances of the year. If there was just one set of awards, then I could buy that theory. But the Golden Globes, the Academy, the Screen Actors Guild and other organizations each want to be the ones to bestow that honor. Can't they all get together and make one big award?

Having more than one award show does offer the chance for more than one person to use their acceptance speech which has been neatly folded up and kept in a shirt sleeve or a secret dress lining pocket. But doesn't that defeat the purpose of honoring the best performance? Personally I think it's an opportunity to dress up and have photographers take pictures of them for the celebrity magazines. Not to mention the after-show parties. Or the gift bags with freebies worth thousands of dollars. But there is something to the idea of honoring great work. The losers are always saying that "It's an honor just to be nominated" -- sometimes through clenched teeth -- and I believe that's true also. The real honors aren't in limiting the recognition to just one recipient. After all, there was more than one great performance, right?

I know a man who made it a habit to write little notes to people. He called them "Attaboy" or "Attagirl" notes. They were notes of encouragement for a job well done or Christlike actions. The simplicity of the idea was, and still is, striking. If Hollywood can throw lavish banquets to honor those who perform their craft well, why shouldn't we be offering our own version of encouragement to those needing "an award" of sorts? The award shows are usually just that -- shows. This has got to be from the heart.

The nice thing about the blogosphere is that most every post comes with a built-in place called "comments" for us to deposit our little "Attaboy" notes. It's easy to encourage a blogger because the template of the web page almost begs for it. Perhaps that's why blogging has such a draw for some people. After all, everyone needs a little encouragement.

But what about the people you know in "real life"? Do we encourage them? In Acts 4 we read about a guy named Joseph from Cyprus whom the disciples started calling Barnabas. Why? Because Barnabas means "Son of Encouragement." What a legacy to be so known as an encourager that your name reflects it! Maybe that's what we need to strive for. I know many people who struggle with their Christian walk, with their finances, with their love life, with their job... I'm betting you know a few too. How about forgetting the fancy outfit, the envelopes and the statuettes and going out to be a Barnabas this week? That's my goal for the week. Who's with me?