The King and the King of Pop

Well, Michael Jackson died last night. While on one level it was surprising, on another level it wasn't. I couldn't imagine Michael Jackson growing to be an old man. He seemed to me one of those people destined for a tragic fate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJhlFg2wvtc

I have heard commentators on CNN compare his death to Anna Nicole Smith's. I assume they are referring to drug use and an untimely death. But for me this is more along the lines of Elvis. Like Elvis, Michael Jackson was a mega super star. To compare him to Anna Nicole brings him down a quite a few notches on the celebrity scale. There are D-list celebrities, A-list celebrities, and then there are a few Mega celebrities. Among them are people like Elvis, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe and maybe Madonna. The kind of celebrities who transcend their genres and become woven into the fabric of a culture.

I can't call myself a huge Michael Jackson fan, but I do like a lot of his songs. They are a part of the "soundtrack of my life" whether I want them to be or not. It's kind of inescapable.

So I see this as quite like Elvis' death. I was 9 years old when Elvis died, and a large part of the population has never gotten over it. His fans make pilgrimages to Graceland and observe his birthday and the anniversary of his death. I imagine the same thing will happen with Michael. Someone will buy Neverland and turn it into a memorial and people will flock there to pay tribute to the King of Pop in the same way people flock to Graceland to pay tribute to the King.

But you know what - they were both just men. Flawed men. Men that society built up into figures to be worshipped and adored. How sad is that.

There is another King, you know. The King of Kings. Jesus Christ. Flawless and worthy to be worshipped and adored. Let's remember that while it's ok to be sad and mourn the loss of a person, there is hope and joy to be found in knowing that if we put our faith in Christ we can enjoy eternal life in heaven. And that an earthly death isn't the end for us.

I hope Michael Jackson has a peace in death that he never had in life.