One of my favorite Disneyland memories was the 3D show - Captain EO. I was crushed when it was removed. I always thought the cut of "Another Part of Me" at the end was better, even than on the "BAD" album. (It could have just been the amazing sound they had in that theater)
"BAD" was the album I knew Michael Jackson by the most growing up. I loved Thriller, Billie Jean, and Beat It, but I was a little young when they came out, and they were never the same as Smooth Criminal, Another Part of Me, and Bad.
Dangerous also had a special place in my heart, due largely to my Uncle's appearance in the Black or White video, and Slash's guitar solo in Give in to Me.
Musically speaking, I think one of the greatest tragedies of Michael Jackson's career was that his last album, Invincible is one of the greatest and most amazing albums I've ever heard, and due largely to his missing tour dates, flew under the radar for many.
And now the king of pop is dead. Perhaps you've noticed the same thing I have; there are few "middle-of-the-road" people on Michael Jackson. These last few weeks for some have been a life-altering tragedy; a "where were you when JFK was shot?" type of event. To others, MJ's death was as much a joke as his life, and if they're honest, were slightly glad to hear of his passing.
As I've interacted with people, and then after MJ's memorial service today, I have a few things I want to get off my chest: The first is a reaction to the memorial, the second is an exhortation to some of my Christian brothers and sisters:
1) Michael Jackson was a man - an extrodinary man, who left an amazing legacy to music... but did anyone else get the eerie sense that the song "Soon and very soon, we're gonna see the king" was being sung about the wrong king? And as sad as I have been lately about MJ's death (I can hardly listen to any of his songs right now), what made me even sadder watching the service, was the fact that I now doubt not only many "reverend"s' ability to articulate the gospel, but whether they even know the gospel.
And I had a WTF moment when Kobe Bryant, of all people in the universe, decided to get on the stage. Adam Sandler would have made more sense than Kobe Bryant.
2) On the other hand, I have been grately saddened by the reaction of many of my Christian brothers and sisters. Yes, Michael Jackson's life was fairly messed up. But oh how quickly do we forget what Scripture says about how messed up every one of us is, and how without the grace of God in Christ, we're hopeless. Oh how quickly we forget how dead we were in our sin. Oh how quickly we forget that apart from the grace of God, you and I would commit every sin written in the Bible (and there are some grand-slam sins in there!)
I have very little patience for Christians who try to decide who needs the gospel, and who is beyond grace. I have very little patience when Christians act like it's a good thing when an unbeliever dies. I have very little patience when Christians can't appreciate the common grace of God given to us through unbelievers. Seriously - is everything ever made by a non-Christian evil? Was your car made by Christians? How about your clothes? Or your furniture? Is all your music "Christian"? Or is it safe just because they play it on "Christian Radio"? ""Jesus take the wheel has the word Jesus in it, so it must be Christian! In fact, let's play it in church this Sunday!""
So I guess I'm just unhappy regardless. I'm tired of hearing the universalist nonsense that "Michael is surely looking down on us". I'm also tired of hearing those who have been saved by grace, who have themselves known salvation from the pit of hell, not grieve yet another unbeliever's death.
Jesus saves. If you don't know the King of Kings, you gotta' know him! It doesn't matter what you've done or haven't done. If you do know him, then you know your need, and others' need for him. PLEASE try to remember to look at the world as He does. The world is not the devil. The world is the victim of the devil.
