Just A Thought Fortune and Fame

Some people live for the fortune

Some people live just for the fame

Some people live for the power,

Some people live just to play the game…

~Alicia Keys

If you turn on the television, no matter what time of day, you are likely to see a commercial or preview about the newest reality television show that is coming soon. It seems as though people everywhere want to air their dirty laundry on reality television. For those of you who don’t know what reality television is, Wikipedia describes it as “a genre of television programming that documents supposedly unscripted real-life situations and often features an otherwise unknown cast of individuals who are typically not professional actors.”

National bestselling and award-winning authors, Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley, have done it again. They have combined their talents to explore the world of reality television, in the novel Fortune & Fame.

As the readers stroll down the corridor to find their seats in the audience, Murray and Billingsley introduce First ladies’ Jasmine Cox Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams. Jasmine and Rachel have been through alot together and have something in common, they are their husbands’ biggest supporters. Jasmine and Rachel fought very hard for their pastor husbands to become the head of the American Baptist Coalition.

They both had a rocky past and neither are strangers to conflict. They both campaigned and pushed hard to support their husbands. In Rachel’s mind, she knows if she invests in the project, “First Ladies Reality Television”, she could potentially take her business to the next level; but, if they put the past behind them, Jasmine and Rachel could make some real money and become the next big thing. On the other hand, Jasmine is a bit reluctant and unsure whether she wants viewers to tune in every week to witness her dirty laundry.

Murray and Billingsley sprinkle a few more colorful characters into the plot to round out the story. In the meantime, as the audience settles into their seats, the story opens with a bang. Jasmine leans forward in her chair with stretched eyes, yelling, “I can’t believe it!” And then, the story takes off running.

As the audience sinks deeper into the plot, the story darkens. The producers try to dig up any and everything because dirty laundry sells. It became hard for the audience to sit still. On the edge of their seats, they reflect on how they grew up in church and how the women of the church behaved, especially the pastor’s wife. The story compels the audience to think, “Something about this just isn’t right. These are supposed to be, Godly women.”

Just because the producer claims that the show is going to be classy, doesn’t mean it will be. The cast members claim to be saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, so the situations they are put in pose real challenges for them.

Everyone can relate to these women, whether you are a self-proclaimed sinner or a self-proclaimed Christian, we all know someone who always tries to get ahead, no matter what. While reading this story, the one thing that stuck in my mind was… sticking with God pays off. It doesn’t matter what you have or what you are going through, God is the answer. Fame or Fortune, whatever you need, God’s got it.