Even Kings Die

So it's my day off and I've been up since 7am with Avery, which means not much is on tv so I've been watching the Today show. Michael Jackson's death has dominated the broadcast of course, with the occasional mention of Farrah Fawcett's passing. The Home Improvement reruns can't come on soon enough to provide some relief from this madness.

I do remember the pre-creepy days of Michael Jackson back in the 1980s. I recall in particular one summer trip to Ft. Sumner going to stay at my grandparents lake house. My brother had just purchased Michael Jackson's "Bad" cassette, and we listened to it for almost the entire trip. His music and career has undoubtedly influenced numerous musicians and people. He will always be known as the king of pop, but even kings die.

What has amazed me is the level of hypocrisy that is revealed when something like this happens. The same news anchors who have slammed and labeled Michael Jackson for the past several years (and with reason) are now expressing remorse and sadness at his passing. It's not just the anchors though. A local record store sold out of many of his cds yesterday afternoon when news of Jackson's death spread. "Thriller" quickly rose to the top of the itunes record sales. The question I ask is this: If you are truly a Michael Jackson fan, wouldn't you already own his albums? Funny how death makes people want to react in some way, and so many people react by becoming a fan.

I'm can't rightfully say much about Michael Jackson because I never knew him personally, but it's no secret that this man was peculiar to say the least. He thrived on attention. He loved the throne that accompanied being the "king of pop." He did whatever it took to gain and retain the attention of the public eye. I think it's also safe to say that some of his fans worshiped him. I remember seeing footage of grown women and even men crying at his concerts and growing hysterical when he was within 100 feet of them. Some people will write that off as fanatics being fanatics. I say it's mankind doing what mankind was created to do: worship.

Yesterday will always be a sad day for many because their king is gone. This isn't the first time a king has died and it won't be the last. Elvis, the king of rock and roll came to the same end and people mourned his passing. Countless other kings have come and gone throughout history. I often hear sportscasters call Lebron James "King James". While this may just be a moniker, it's a reality for so many adoring fans. Their king (whether crowned, or idealized) is the one whom they pay homage to. Kings will come and kings will go, but even kings die.

I think we have a fascination with kings. I know that I do. When I read the bible, I love to read about the ancient kings and how they led their people. I particularly love to read about King David, King Solomon, King Josiah, and King Hezekiah. I am even intrigued by the kings who were horrible rulers (King Saul, King Manasseh, etc..) One of my favorite movies is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. We are interested in kings. Perhaps it's because we live in a nation that gained it's independence from a monarchy. We wonder what it is like to have a king, so we create our own using iconic figures. The one thing that all kings have in common is that they all eventually die.

One of my favorite names for Christ is the King of Kings. While Michael Jackson may be the king of pop, Elvis may be the king of rock and roll, and Lebron may be king James - Jesus is the only person to be able to claim the title "King of Kings." He is above all. And yes, this King of Kings did face death, but He above all kings and kingdoms conquered it. I am thankful that He is my king. He'll never die, He'll never change His image - He doesn't need the spotlight or a throne in order to be King. He is because He says He is. That's pretty stinkin cool to me. Even kings die, but my King lives.