Michael Jackson’s Spiritual Search and What We Can Learn About Ourselves From Him
by Beneath all of the media propaganda and incessant buzz about Michael Jackson’s quirky, bizarre, and strange behaviors and lifestyle, most of us sensed something more was going on with him. Indeed, we were attuned to his difficult and seemingly hopeless search to experience meaning in his life. We felt the depth of his suffering because in many ways it is our own.
Crescent Moon and Star Photo Source
Michael Jackson’s Death
On June 25, 2009, news of Michael Jackson’s death spread like a raging, uncontrollable wildfire. Celebrities, fans, and others around the world were sincerely shocked and devastated on one level, though I believe that many knew that Michael was not well and would meet an untimely death.
“I can’t recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death,” Lisa Marie Presley, Michael’s ex-wife and daughter of the late Elvis Presley, wrote on her blog. “At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, ‘I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did.’ ”
Rabbi Shmuley had expressed the same sentiment. He recounted on his blog that in 2004 he had conceded that “my great fear, and why I felt I had to be distanced from Michael . . . was that he would not live long. My fear was that Michael’s life would be cut short. When you have no ingredients of a healthy life, when you are totally detached from that which is normal, and when you are a super-celebrity you, God forbid, end up like Janis Joplin, like Elvis . . . Michael is headed in that direction.’ “
What We Can Learn from Michael Jackson About Ourselves
Despite all of the speculation about what kind of religious funeral Michael would have, his funeral ended up being a religion-free, God-free affair, which seems to square well with the lack of spiritual satisfaction that Michael experienced in his life. In his death as in his life, Michael is a flawed symbol of the dull, though persistent ache at the core of modern society. Out of our deep hunger for “something,” we made Michael into a modern hero in the hopes that he could lead us to transcendence. We revered his otherworldly talent, his ability to captivate us with the beauty, power, and authenticity of his music, his dance, his art—we forever have the image of him moonwalking across the stage as fans fainted and cried out for the unquenchable desire that he awoke in them. In the end, we are left as empty as Michael was—the half-man, half-child, half-God: inconsolable and unsatisfied.
What I take away from Michael’s death is that if we are not true to ourselves, if we listen instead to what others think of us and try to live up to their expectations, ultimately we will sell our soul, and no amount of fame, money, or talent will save us.
Rabbi Shmuley summed up the impact of Michael’s life aptly on his blog: “There was a great beauty and gentility in Michael’s soul. His talents far surpassed those of his contemporaries and he yearned deeply to make the world a better place. I am saddened that the emotional pain he lived with prevented him from finding the meaning and connectedness which he longed for.”
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Post CommentKatie Marie
On July 24, 2009 at 9:28 am
Very insightful and well written. Well done my friend.
OhSugar
On July 24, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Very well presented. I like it.
David Crerand
On July 25, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I respected the talent of the man but, being a couple years older than you, was already capable of discerning the downright “off-ness” that was going on, you know what I mean, something was just “off”. You raise some very important points in your piece about how we elevate people’s status to pinnacles they can’t possibly live up to. Perhaps Michael’s “We are the World” etc. were his penances for the wrongs committed amidst his inability to understand the beauty of God’s gifts around him. You did succeed in your goal of making his death mean a little more to me than it had previously. Well written. David
Payge
On July 30, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Well written and I liked It a great deal.I haven’t listened to his music in 15 years but hopes he finds the peace that eluded him in life no matter what religion he was,
Pastor Curtis Barnett
On July 31, 2009 at 1:01 am
This was fantastic, inspiring, helpful just lovely.
Absolutely love your writing and way of thinking!
Jeremy James Noye
On August 10, 2009 at 10:46 am
Until reading this article I had been mostly indifferent to the whole MJ thing. I liked his music, but never felt any real connection to him. Looking at it in this light, I think MJ and I may have more in common than I thought.
WriteEditSeek
On August 27, 2009 at 3:11 am
@ Katie, OhSugar, and Curtis — Thank you very much for your nice comments. I appreciate them more than you know.
@ David — Yes, I agree, there was something that was just off about Michael. His life was quite tragic indeed.
@ Jeremy — Thanks for your comment. It\\\’s nice to hear that you found the information insightful.
Patti
On November 5, 2009 at 3:35 am
I believe in all the years I’ve studied Micheal Jackson and his love for humanity I truly believe he had an intimate relationship with Christ which makes him a born again Christian. And God’s word says if you believe Jesus died for your sins and accept him into your heart you will be with Him in paradise. And I truly believe thats where Micheal is right now for all eternity. He sure left us with some amazing entertainment did’nt he.