that's you. i'm talking to you.
i must be the 80 millionth person to provide commentary to today's events. normally, i would at least pretend to avoid the cliche, but tonight, i cant help but find the profundity of Michael Jackson's death as completely worth all the thought provoking it's producing.
we can all agree there's a giant mess of things to be brought up. everyone seems to have an opinion on his life & death that they feel justified to express - some people with as much passion as if they lost their personal hero, and others seem to regard his memory as that of an ill-regarded ex-boyfriend. either way, i think it's interesting everyone feels it personally. even those who are adamantly professing they dont. the "adamantly" gives them away if you ask me.
but who am i kidding? it's not like i'm unbiased. i have my opinions about his music, his sleeping in the same bed with little boys, his lost identity, and so on & so forth... but for now, i dont think those opinions matter much. instead, all i see is a single, bottom line.
it's sad.
there's a loss in the world today. not only a loss of creative genius. certainly i'm sad about that as well. (oops, i think that was opinion.)
but i'm also deeply sad for the loss of potential.
potential for beautiful redemption of what the last 10 years of his life became. and more importantly, potential for a loud, loud voice to speak light into a very, dark world.
michael jackson has had one of the largest platforms in all of human history.
yes, without a doubt, he used it for good and for beauty. his art, his ability to SEE music, to become it, was not only insanely captivating, but it has forever revolutionized the world of music. he found his talent and he passionately pursued it, and the rest of the world has ever since reaped those rewards.
i hope to graciously communicate this next part. without trivializing those precious gifts he shared with us, i cant help but think... is that all there was? did the King of Pop really make such lasting impressions on millions of people without a single one of them being an eternal impression?
i was driving to work when my phone first was inundated with texts about the news of his heart attack. quickly, i strained my ears to catch every word ryan seacrest uttered as updates came in on michael jackson's status. during the short minutes it was rumored he was in a coma... i was pleading with the Lord not to take him. to let him survive, that michael could use this moment in his life as an extreme wake up call. and in turn, as a wake up call to the millions of people in his 24/7 audience.
im not trying to shift the responsibility of the entire Great Commission onto the shoulder's of michael jackson by any means. rather, as i sat in my car today imagining what such potential could have been like, i felt challenged in a new way.
truly, "man in the mirror" was an appropriate soundtrack to my thoughts. what about my potential? am i working towards being the best i can be at everything God has created me to do? am i faithful with each "platform" i have to love people in a way that points them to their Creator? or am i waiting? waiting until it's more comfortable, more convenient, more falls-on-my-lap-in-a-silver-platter sort of fashion?
Switchfoot once summed it up well:
"this is your life. are you who you wanna be?"
life already started. THIS is really it. i'm 25 years in. 25! i dont want to waste my days.
we all have a platform. we're all saying something, whether we want to or not.
what am i saying?
what are you saying?
is any of it of eternal value?
as i mourn the loss of a man who transformed the art of music, im simultaneously inspired by him to keep creating, to keep risking, to keep pursuing my dreams, and to be absolutely sure that i leave this earth having been faithful to all God has given me and called me to.
i sincerely hope michael found time to meet the King of KINGS before he died today. if i'm honest, that's partly selfish, being that i've always hoped to be friends with him one day in heaven, or maybe just be his dance partner...er, uh... dance student. without knowing what decisions michael made about who was LORD of his life, all i can do is rest in God's sovereignty and look for hope to rise out of this in the coming days.
my prayers are for his family, for his children, for his fans -- that life would come from his death. and that his legacy would propel each of us to reexamine our own legacy that we will one day leave on this earth.
the lyrics below are to an old favorite by nicole nordeman. . .
I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all the who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much
I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...
2 comments:
challenging words... thanks.
:) I enjoyed reading this
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