CNN reports that the city of Mumbai recently imposed “no-selfie zones.” Police have “pinpointed locations around Mumbai where they want to ‘restrain’ people to prevent” what has been called “death by selfie.”
It appears that Mumbai, though having the highest occurrences thus far, is not the only city in the world that is seeing a rise in deaths by selfie. People get caught up in taking a selfie that they do not pay attention to their surroundings, or to what’s happening around them. “Since 2014, 49 people had been reported dead as a result of some sort of accident involving a selfie.” (And this number does not include injuries.) Instances of death by selfie include falling off a cliff or a tall building (16), drowning (14), even being struck by an oncoming train (8).
This is tragic news. But, sadly, such deaths still happen. That’s why the Mumbai police have chosen to intervene by imposing the no-selfie zones.
Reading the news reports, it occurred to me that the tragedies can
provide a picture of a sober spiritual truth: as self-centeredness exposes us to spiritual dangers, authentic discipleship is a “no selfie zone.”
A primary biblical statement of this truth is Jesus’ own declaration: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NIV). Paul affirms it when he confesses: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2.20 NET). Also, “I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!–that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3.8 NET). There is no room for self in discipleship; only Christ.
The Bible also warns us that “focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing” (Romans 8.7 The Message). This was the problem that characterized the Israelites during the times of the judges. “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17.6 ESV). And those who focus on self cannot please God (Romans 8.8). That is a dangerous place to be.
The Lord will not impose the no-selfie zone on anyone. It is a person’s free choice whether or not one will enter the Christ-zone. —Keith Y. Jainga