Snuffed out without warning!  Michael Jackson is gone and his unexpected death has unleashed a tsunami of fan emotion and media frenzy worldwide.  Like Chuck Colson, I am not surprised by the global mourning and media attention.  Michael, an unparalled entertainer, seemed to have it all, yet found himself a “celebri-slave”, profoundly tortured and deprived of the basic freedom to truly live his own life.

You can be sure our grandchildren know who Michael Jackson is and are aware of all the hype surrounding his life and death.  This is a perfect opportunity to talk with them about the difference between the kind of worldly success Michael Jackson attained, and the freedom to be truly alive that he never did attain.

Freedom and success are defined very differently by the world.  God defines them in terms of TRUTH.  The world defines them in terms of fame and fortune, in spite of the reality evidenced by people like Michael that belies the world’s perspective.

Freedom and fortune are not mutually exclusive, but without truth as a basis for living, real freedom does not exist.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”.  If Michael Jackson could speak to us now, I believe he would say, “Listen!  It’s true!”

FANNING THE FLAME
Celebrities are not the only ones caught up in the lie.  The relentless pursuit of wealth and instant gratification by many, even among those claiming to be followers of Christ, reveals our woeful theology and personal idolatries.  Perhaps Michael Jackson’s untimely death will serve as a wake up call for us to examine what is really true.  Let’s use this opportunity to show our grandchildren the unquenchable thrill of true freedom that frees us from sin’s slavery and releases us to live full and free.