Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by people's worship and admiration for Michael Jackson. Back in the 1980's, he used to rent out the Civic Center in Pensacola to practice and prepare for his upcoming tours. People would camp out nearby just to get a Michael Jackson sighting. Just to see his limo going by. Just for him to wave at them. All this, for a man who wouldn't even do a concert in Pensacola because we didn't have a large enough venue for him. Anywhere he went across the world, hordes of people would faint or become hysterical just because of his presence. Now, don't get me wrong. I had his pictures hanging on the walls in my room. I owned the red leather jacket with 5000 zippers everywhere. I had the white socks and penny loafers too. Shoot, I even had a MJ purse with his picture on the side. (I could probably make a pretty penny if I still had them.)
He was, and still is, a god to a lot of people. The true American idol. Even in the more recent years when he was but a caricature of his former self and hadn't put out new music, people still would sit in awe of him.
Yes, he was a talented man. Yes, he seemed to be a philanthropist. Yes, he had a troubled life. But, he was still a man. A man who was destined to crumble under the pressure that comes with knowing that millions of people expect greatness. A man who searched for perfection so much that he marred his previously beautiful face.
So, what's the point of this rant? Glad you asked. Seeing the world's fascination with his life and now his death and seeing the reports of the server crashing because of people trying to get tickets to his funeral makes me contemplative. What if we were as interested in seeing Jesus? What if we loved Him so much that we knew all of His word like we know MJ's songs? What if we took such an interest in His death and resurrection that we wanted to make sure everyone knew when it happened and what it means for us today? Writing this made me think about the hymn that says "Turn your eyes upon Jesus...so the things of this world will grow faintly dim." Satan uses any and every thing to turn us away from what should be our true focus. While we mourn the death of the greatest entertainer, while we learn lessons from his life, while we grieve for his family and kids, let even this bring us closer to Jesus and more ready for life eternal.
He was, and still is, a god to a lot of people. The true American idol. Even in the more recent years when he was but a caricature of his former self and hadn't put out new music, people still would sit in awe of him.
Yes, he was a talented man. Yes, he seemed to be a philanthropist. Yes, he had a troubled life. But, he was still a man. A man who was destined to crumble under the pressure that comes with knowing that millions of people expect greatness. A man who searched for perfection so much that he marred his previously beautiful face.
So, what's the point of this rant? Glad you asked. Seeing the world's fascination with his life and now his death and seeing the reports of the server crashing because of people trying to get tickets to his funeral makes me contemplative. What if we were as interested in seeing Jesus? What if we loved Him so much that we knew all of His word like we know MJ's songs? What if we took such an interest in His death and resurrection that we wanted to make sure everyone knew when it happened and what it means for us today? Writing this made me think about the hymn that says "Turn your eyes upon Jesus...so the things of this world will grow faintly dim." Satan uses any and every thing to turn us away from what should be our true focus. While we mourn the death of the greatest entertainer, while we learn lessons from his life, while we grieve for his family and kids, let even this bring us closer to Jesus and more ready for life eternal.
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