I don't think I can do it better than Justin Taylor:
He is dead at the age of 50. He had everything the world offered--but no Jesus.
I remember once looking at the liner notes from an album of his, and he quoted the final lines from William Ernest Henley's famous poem, Invictus:
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Those are not the words you want written on your tombstone.
It is hard to think of a sadder public figure in recent years. A black man who never found his identity as one created in God's image, and who never experienced the identity of being conformed to the image of Christ. Black and white, male and female, rich and bankrupt, genius and punchline, private and public, innocent and deceptive--everything seemed to be jumbled up.
The one thing that comes to mind about Jackson is how bad he was at hiding his brokenness. Even while living in a literal fantasy land, it was obvious to everyone that this was a person--enormously gifted--desperately seeking a mask to cover, in futility, who he was.
May God use even this to increase our compassion and ministry to the lost, broken, and confused.
Sorry for the gigantic block quote, Justin, but it was too fitting to cut down to size.
Drudge Report headline reads..."The King is Dead". Michael Jackson wasn't really king of anything. He ended up a sad, broken down old has been. Yes, he's just one of many broken people in this world that need Jesus. How will they know unless they are told. So let's go tell them and keep on praying for them.
Posted by: Phil | June 25, 2009 at 10:46 PM
"So let's go tell them and keep on praying for them."
I was never an MJ fan, but I sent up prayers yesterday for both him and Ms. Fawcett. Both passings are sad, and for different reasons. Lord, have mercy.
By the way, did anyone happen to see any of the footage of Ms. Fawcett in the hospital? It appeared that on several occasions she crossed herself -- does any one know anything about her faith, or coming to faith in recent days? In any case, I thought it a good and hopeful sign.
Posted by: Rob G | June 26, 2009 at 07:05 AM
Per Wikipedia, Farrah Fawcett was a Roman Catholic, cradle variety.
Prayers for both - Lord have mercy.
Posted by: Juli | June 26, 2009 at 08:28 AM
There's nothing to add to Justin Taylor's summation. He does a great job of expressing what I've been thinking and feeling the last 15 hours or so.
Rob G., I believe that Farrah Fawcett was Catholic. I watched that quasi-controversial documentary about her cancer struggle and vaguely remember a reference to her Catholic faith (at least once that I recall she crossed herself in that film.)
Posted by: Lisa R. | June 26, 2009 at 08:39 AM
It was reported yesterday (Fox News?) that she received last rites.
Posted by: Chelie | June 26, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Michael had become "Makheel", a Muslim, just a few months ago. Probably the real reason Ahminajad wanted Obama to apologize.
Posted by: brad evans | June 26, 2009 at 02:04 PM
I heard in an even more hopeful sign that Ms. Fawcett was also observed in these last days to be praying the rosary.
Posted by: Janet | June 26, 2009 at 07:14 PM
Could we say that his signature moonwalk was emblematic of his life -- appearing to go forward, but actually going backward the entire time?
Posted by: Bender | June 28, 2009 at 06:58 PM