soon and very soon....

....we are going to see the King. the words of the song that the choir sang as the casket containing MJ's remains was wheeled into the arena day keep playing over & over in my mind. a gentle reminder of how short this life is, how our concept of time--sooner or later--is but a whisper in the eyes of God, and how truly someone can be here today & gone tomorrow.

i, like most of the world, mourned MJ today as he was laid to rest. i wept openly while watching the televised with a friend, my tears a surreal mixture of sorrow & joy as i listened to his music, admired his photos, heard the tributes, and observed the raw grief of his family, especially his children. though it has been over a week since he passed, it is still very raw and very surreal. i almost expect to wake up tomorrow and this to be some sort of bad dream. but, alas, having "attended" his memorial service today via satellite, the grieving process truly begins and we realize that he is really gone from us--absent from his body, but present with God.

as we all know, MJJ was an awesome entertainer--album after album produced hit after hit from his Jackson 5 days to his last album Invincible. though i never had the opportunity to see him live, i've watched him on television over the years and was always amazed by his command of the stage and his ability to connect with his fan base of all races/colors/creeds. ppl who could barely speak English in faraway lands loved & emulated MJ. he crossed any and every boundary that was put in his way and the poor kid from Gary, IN became an international superstar.

but beyond MJ's innumerable talents in the music industry, my heart is even heavier today because i firmly believe that MJ was the closest person that our generation will see to someone who truly worked hard to show the love of God to his fellow man. here is an excerpt of something i posted on a listserv that i am a member of earlier today:

Michael Jackson was the closest thing that this generation will probably ever see of someone who suffered so to advance the cause of Christ in this world. His loving heart, altruistic manner, and deep CONCERN & COMPASSION for the least of these in society--children, the poor, the sick, the downtrodden, the forgotten. As many of the speakers mentioned today, Michael--in his walk, in his talk, in his actions--personified the love of God here on Earth. He wasn't just a "singer and dancer" (as this idiot on MSNBC just said), he was a humanitarian, a philanthropist who made millions and gave away millions to make this world a better place.

He carried the 'cross' proudly--of being a softhearted person, one who loved ppl unconditionally and probably gave some folks too many chances. How many of us can say in our own lives that daily we are walking in that kind of love, that we are creating that kind of legacy, that we are impacting ppl in our own communities, heck, our own households, in that same manner??

MJJ was a GIFT, a gift that we will NEVER see on this side of eternity again. He was a rare jewel that kept on running, despite ALL of the muck, mire, evil and demonic things that were thrown his way. Many of us could never begin to imagine how much PAIN he was in for all these years--emotionally and otherwise--and all he wanted to do was LOVE humanity.
--
talking about this topic with a couple of ppl earlier today, we continued to come to the same conclusion--we know that those who do good in this world--this world that is full of light, but also full of sooo much darkness--will be persecuted. they will be kicked, lied to/about, talked about, mistreated. if they did it to Jesus, you best believe that they'll do it you and they'll do it to me.

but, let us look at MJ as an example of rising up against adversity. as someone who, as his favorite song said, could 'smile even though his heart was aching.' who NEVER stopped loving ppl even when his pure love was used as a weapon to attempt to destroy him.

we must, we must, we MUST continue to LOVE ANYWAY. we must continue to be witnesses for the redemptive love of God. we must continue to pray for one another--especially those who are enemies/hurt us. we must continue to ask God to cloak us in a banner of compassion & forgiveness towards others.

we must think about our legacies. if you were taken out of here tomorrow, what would folk say about YOU? what are you leaving behind? whose lives have you touched in a positive way? what example have you been to yourself, your children, those you don't even know?

beloved, it's time to GET RIGHT. it's time to GET RIGHT with yourself and start doing that difficult work of cleaning out the broken/ugly places and asking God to fix them--he who is set free is free indeed! it's time to GET RIGHT with ppl around you--apologizing, reconciling, healing broken relationships with friends & family members, letting go of grudges. it's time to GET RIGHT with this world: if you have a talent and calling on your life, stop running! start making strides to launch that thing, whatever that 'thing' is.

it's time to GET RIGHT.

we lost an angel today that, in his lifetime, did all that he was called to do, leaving behind gifts that will live on for generations to come.

what will your legacy be? what will your epitaph say?

for all our sake, let us hope it says "well done."