Paris Hilton and the odds stacked.

Paris Hilton and the odds stacked.

I read an article on CNN.com today about Paris Hilton. In it, she described some new charity efforts she is pursuing now that she’s out of prison. Looking back on her life, she states:

“There are a lot of bad people in L.A. Before, my life was about having fun, going to parties — it was a fantasy. But when I had time to reflect, I felt empty inside. I want to leave a mark on the world.”

Will she? Maybe, this could be the start of a new life for Hilton. Maybe she’ll become some sort of blonde Angelina Jolie, adopting kids, working for the UN and changing people in the ways she can. Maybe her recent involvement with Kid Rock will turn out to be a good thing, a positive influence.

But regardless, I couldn’t help but think of the Israelites when I saw Hilton in the article. I think God loves people like Paris Hilton. He loves everyone, true enough, but I think he’s a big fan of people or circumstances that allow him to show his true might. That’s what he did with Pharaoh and the Israelites. He kept stacking the odds against his people. Hardening Pharaoh’s heart again and again until he got to unleash a wave of miracles that resounded the world over.

He could have softened Pharaoh’s heart and walked his people out slowly and casually. Instead he built an army of resistance that gave him the chance to reveal his power in the force of an ocean that parted. Same thing with David and Goliath. Could the odds have been stacked greater there? A boy against a giant? A stone against a sword? Even in the moment, David picked up on what God was doing. In 1 Samuel 17:46 he says, “Today the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” Would the whole world have known if a really strong guy had defeated another really strong guy? Doubtful.

The chances of Paris giving her life to Christ are probably pretty slim, but how stacked are those odds? Can’t you just see God saying, “The girl in the sex tape? The girl with the DUIs and the jail time and complete disregard for anything not bathed in money? That girl, that’s the one I love. That’s the one I’m going to change with my love. Paris Hilton is who I sent my son to redeem.”

I used to be fearful when I found myself with stacked odds. When I learned that there were 2.8 million non fiction book proposals submitted every year with 97% rejected I got a little sweaty. But maybe that’s exactly how God wants it. Maybe he’s just stacking the odds so that I, much like Paris, can leave a mark on this world.