The Michael Jackson Tragedy

If I was an invested student of pop culture I'd be watching the coverage of Michael Jackson's funeral today. Instead, in my continuing laziness of the last three weeks, I've finally rented "Spiderman 3." How's that for shallow?!?

It's not that I'm an antagonist of the alleged King of Pop. It's true that I'm an aging hard-rocker. I came of age as a music fan with the Jimmy Hendrix Experience, Eric Clapton, Iron Butterfly, and Grand Funk Railroad, and I've disdained the sweetsy-pop stuff since the days of the Jackson 5. Thus, I've never been a fan. Still, I recognize that Michael Jackson broke open the genre of music video, and created a style that's been emulated for over three decades. I appreciate the millions of dollars he has put into charities. And, though I have my concerns about some elements of his character, I cannot cast stones of judgement, due to my own faith values.

Mostly, I just find it all terribly sad. In Michael Jackson I see a person constantly trying to remold himself. And I never saw this remolding as a positive thing. Rather, it seemed to be some kind of desperation fueled by self-loathing and/or craving for approval. With all his obvious gifts and talents, Michael Jackson never seemed settled with himself. We all joked about the alleged plastic surgeries and his freakish appearance changes. Behind it all was some kind of inner tragedy. And we've turned this tragic figure into an icon. (Supposedly, seats for Michael Jackson's funeral today were sold on Ebay for as high as $10,000.) In death, the King of Pop is at god-status for many people who probably struggle with their own desperation to rebuild themselves into something other than who they are.

It's a stark contrast with the One who shows us that we cannot change who and what we are, but that the God who made us and loves us longs for us and seeks us as if each of us was the King of Pop times infinity! And it is this God who will make us new creatures - the creatures we were created in love to be all along. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.