The cancellation by CBS of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” three days after Colbert lambasted his community for caving to a Trump administration lawsuit hit me onerous as an everyday watcher of the present. (Sure, I’m an evening owl.) I’m nonetheless appalled on the community’s motion and suspicious of its motivation.
I really feel a sort of grief settling into my coronary heart. Sure, I’ll miss the humor, the nice band, the political jabs and visitor musicians. However what hurts my coronary heart most is the lack of a tv persona who doesn’t cover his Christian religion. Colbert is a dedicated, training Catholic. He didn’t use his platform to proselytize or preach, however he didn’t again away from sharing together with his viewers, as applicable, that he was a Christian.
In a time when non secular dedication is usually perceived as poisonous and when Christianity is just too simply related to those that circle across the present president, having a media persona who was at dwelling together with his religion with out exploiting it a method or one other was, to this Christian pastor, a blessing. I’ll miss that a part of his id on the “Late Present” an excellent deal. In his public life, he bore witness to religion, to following the best way of Jesus that was light, genuine and type. I look ahead to what’s subsequent for him, however will miss what we had within the “Late Present.”
The decline of Christianity on this nation is nicely documented. Over the previous 40 years, those that determine as “non secular” declined whereas those that stated they have been “non secular however not non secular” grew. Some current surveys say the decline has leveled off. However a brand new decline is on the horizon because of the common age of churchgoers. On this “non secular however not non secular” season on this nation, having a late-night host with the best rankings who was not afraid to talk of his religion was exceptional. Certainly, in The Colbert Questionnaire, an occasional function for visitors, one of many questions is: What do you assume occurs after we die? That’s a reasonably deep non secular query.
What we noticed with Colbert on “The Late Present” was somebody at dwelling and cozy together with his religion; he didn’t use it as a advertising and marketing angle, he didn’t cover it. It was merely a part of his public id. I like that and surprise if the position and understanding of faith and religion in America can be barely completely different if extra “progressive” or “liberal” folks of religion have been like him, feeling OK with being clear about their religion and referring to it in dialog the identical approach they may speak about a favourite sports activities group or brewpub.
Colbert’s approach of being a public particular person of religion was vital, a problem and a blessing. Colbert and “The Late Present” will probably be missed.
