The Passing of Michael Jackson and Others

The week of late June/early July 2009 brought the news of two deaths: Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. You may have heard about it on the news.

I witnessed people crying and mourning the deaths of these two people. I read posts and blogs and news articles about how they would be missed. Their funerals had people sobbing and crying out. They were devastated by these deaths.

My 13 year old daughter and I had a conversation about celebrity status one morning.

What Comes Before the Fall

Erin and I were on our respective couches studying our respective scriptures one morning, when out of the blue she looked at me and said, “I *need* to not want to be a star on TV. I know myself too well and how I like attention.”

I looked at “My Little Copy” and agreed wholeheartedly with her. We talked about how we both have Pride Issues and want to be the center of attention and have the glory and fame, etc.

Having experienced rejection all my life, I explained to Erin that getting attention had become important to me. I also said that God was working very hard on this issue. He has got me to that point where I *despise* this Pride. I don’t want it any more. It has become an abomination to me.

Erin looked at me and told me she knew she had the same problem. She wanted to get rid of it also.

We discussed the kings of the Old Testament, those who got rich and received recognition and started to boast. Pride began and their downfall was the end result every single time.

2 Chronicles 26:15-16 …His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall…”

Daniel 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him..

Proverbs 16:18 KJV Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

What is it about society’s fascination with celebrities?

I asked Erin what was so special about Michael Jackson. She replied that he was a good dancer.

Okay, I give her that. But I know a lot of very good dancers. They may not be famous, but they’re good.

Erin said he sang some good songs.

Agreed, but I know many great singers who not only have a great voice and can play a mean guitar, but they touch my heart and bring tears to my eyes. The songs they write are powerful. They may not be famous, but they are great artists.

What is it that makes people *love* these stars without knowing who they really are? We don’t really know them or what they do behind closed doors. We read of drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, infidelity, lawsuits, divorces, accusations of sleeping with young boys, murder, etc.

Many years ago, my friend spent two weeks depressed over the death of Elvis Presley. While she sobbed, I asked her why she was so sad. He was a singer, he revolutionized music – but he was broken. His life was peppered with infidelity and drugs.

She looked at me incredulously and wouldn’t talk to me for a couple of days. Shrugging, I told her that I was sorry, but I could not cry over someone whom I didn’t know. Yes, he had a nice voice, but who was he really inside?

In addition, I hadn’t read much about Elvis making the world a better place:

• Did he consistently give to his community?
• Did he visit the homeless and help them?
• Did he help the widows in Guatemala who are barely making a living because their husbands were tortured and murdered by the terrorists there?
• Did he visit the lepers in Calcutta and offer hope? Love?
• Did he help build wells for those in Africa?

I did read about how his hip moving dances made women swoon and cry and shake just to be able to receive his touch.

What on earth?!? Who are we idolizing here? And why?

Why do our children wear the faces of these people on their shirts? What is their contribution to society? Are they glorifying God in all this? Or is it all for themselves? Are the millions of dollars that flow through their pockets being used in building homes for single moms? Teaching the uneducated how to become educated and make a life for themselves? Do their possessions scream out “me, me, me” or “you, you, you”?

Judgment

Am I judging whether celebrities are Christians or not? No.

We cannot know who is a Christian by their fruits. Even though James mentioned in James 2 that we will know his faith in Jesus by his works. His works proves his faith. He is not working for faith, but his works are a result of his faith. I came up with an analogy on this:

When you are exposed to the sun for a long period of time, the proof is the resulting sunburn.

When you are exposed to the Son for a long period of time, the proof is the resulting Son-burn (the glow that comes from His working in you because you have openly exposed your soul to His work and have submitted your everything to Him).

The point of this article is how people totally and obsessively idolize fallible human beings. Human beings that we have no relationship with. It is about the obsession that people have for celebrities. Wikipedia calls it Cult of Celebrity. My husband made a very good point. Here is the illustration:

• If you were to die, I would truly mourn your passing
• If I were to die, you would truly mourn my passing
• Why? Because we enjoy a *relationship*
• When Paul Newman died, I might have truly mourned his passing (not really, but it’s just an example)
• If I were to have died first, he would not even have thought about my passing
• Why? Because we do not have a *relationship*. It is a one-sided relationship. He doesn’t even know I exist.

Fame – The Up Side

I explained to Erin about the two-edged sword of fame. People will all of a sudden love you and seek you out and want to receive your touch. They will boast about the four words you might have said to them, or the touch they received, or the photograph taken with them. They want you for what you are, not for who you are.

Imagine it:

“I saw Brad Pitt and he told me ‘have a good day!’ I will *NEVER* forget it!”

“Johnny Depp shook my hand. I’ll never wash it again!”

“There over the mantle place is a framed picture of me with Harrison Ford’s arm draped over my shoulder.”

“Look at this photo of Mick Jagger that I got when I was in line for the Awards!”

So what?!? What makes these simple human beings, with strengths and weaknesses just like you and me, better than my neighbor Roger who does work for the homeless, who puts on Anti Drug and Alcohol Rallies for our children?

Or my friend Cindy who lost her only child to drugs and is now using that tragedy to reach children in the State of Utah and tell them of the harmful effects of drugs? She helps a multitude of ladies to find healing and wholeness through the love of Jesus Christ. Her check book is consistently flowing with an outpouring of love.

There is no difference. Except that I would mourn the death of my neighbor or my friend because our community will have lost someone who made a difference! And I know them – I can truly love them because they have a heart of gold and a love for people that is a rare gift these days.

Fame – The Down Side

And then you have those who hate you because they are jealous, or they have an unhealthy desire to be a part of your life just because you are famous and end up stalking you. There are those who enjoy finding out all the dirt about you and love the sensation caused when they share the negative aspect of your life as if they never did anything wrong themselves.

You receive an unhealthy love from people who don’t know you and a scary hate from people who don’t know you. Just because you make it on a big screen… You become larger than life, which is unrealistic. No man is better than another. God is no respecter of persons.

True Heroes

I longingly look at the life of true heroes. George Washington who led a life of integrity and morality and was a part of our country’s beginning. Thomas Alva Edison who never gave up and looked at every bad situation as a positive – even when his laboratory was burning down! Mother Theresa who gave up all for the poor in Calcutta. Todd Agnew who has a heart for the children in Africa.
Cindy who, instead of growing bitter, has become a more beautiful person over the years and is now making her son’s death a cause to reach out to our children who are getting more and more access to drugs.

Roger lost it all: home, wife, his self-respect and turned it around into a life of serving God with all his heart. In addition to running a business full time, he works with many to teach them how to reach the lost. He goes to Africa and helps those who have AIDS by teaching them about the love of Jesus so that when they die, they will be with their Lord and Savior. His mission trips, his work with the homeless, a never ending list of work for the Lord.

I am very close to another couple, the Bostocks, who have given up the security of a full time job, they have left their home, and now travel all over the United States in their RV, reaching the hurting and the lost through their music ministry.

They are heroes. These people are out there touching people, talking with them, living with them, helping them. These are people that I can truly love and mourn their passing.

So, when you do mourn the passing of someone, examine your heart and the motives behind that mourning. Is it for who they really are and because the community experiences a heavy loss? Or is it only because they achieved fame by doing what many others do: sing well, dance well, or act well?

The Only Idol

Jesus Christ. The True Hero. The One Who gave up His life so that I may stand with my Father when I die. The One who did not retaliate when he was spit upon, insulted, whipped, mocked, slapped, punched, pushed, disfigured beyond all recognition, but hanging on a cross said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

He is the One I want to touch. He is the One in whose presence I would be so nervous that I would not know what to do. He is the face that I would have framed on my mantle. Or on my shirt. He is the One that is my only Idol.

I cannot love anyone more than Him, there is none like Him. I refuse to make a radio personality, or movie celebrity, or famous singer, or any other person take the place in my heart that is reserved for only Him.

I Do Want Fame!

Don’t get me wrong; if fame is what you want, go for it. Knock yourself out. Know that fame is only fleeting, and during those few moments of recognition, remember the people who put you there. And also remember the people who don’t know you, who don’t see your movies, who don’t scream out your name, or wear T-shirts with your picture on. Because these may be the very people you need to use your fame, your money, or even just your love, to help.

Deuteronomy 6:13-14 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.

May the Lord bless you with Wisdom in choosing who to elevate in your eyes!