King of Pop

For nearly 2 weeks there has been so much media attention on the death of Michael Jackson that I can't imagine that anyone hasn't heard. His funeral yesterday was a marvelous tribute to the life and creative genious of such a prominent figure. I grew up with the Jackson 5, the Osmond Brothers and the Partridge Family, and of all of those groups, it seems the Osmonds have had the most normal adult life (if you can call any performer's life normal!) ....seemingly free of addictions and controversy. The most tragic thing is that Michael Jackson's music has been ingrained in our consciences for slightly more than 40 years and spanned continents and yet he still couldn't find fulfillment in his adult life. I know he deeply loved his children and I admire how he protected them from the harshness of a life of performing and made sure they had what he felt he never had -- a childhood -- positive, free of criticism and full of love. There was a beautiful photo taken yesterday of his 3 children together -- the older 2 standing over the younger as if protecting him.

In spite of his shortcomings and other things that cast a more negative light on this controversial figure, there is no denying that his contributions to the music industry and his stature as a performer are among the greatest ever. He has left an undying legacy and with the unreleased works coming to life, his voice will be heard for years to come. He has also left 3 beautiful children who loved him deeply and a family reeling from his untimely demise. We must pray for them, especially his kids.

There is also another poignant lesson in this. Entertainers, and others we revere like Princess Diana, are humans who search for love, acceptance and peace. Those Christians in their sphere of influence need to minister to them and share the love of Christ, in whom there is perfect peace. The rest of us need to keep them in our prayers. We must celebrate their talents but remember that they have the same needs as all of us.

Michael, rest in peace.