Searching for God.

I watched as did so many while Oprah interviewed Whitney Huston and also her segment on Michael Jackson. I am writing about it because I saw a similarity between Michael and Whitney, which showed the result of excessive abuse from the outside turned within. Whitney was asked something about her relationship with Bobby Brown and before she responded to the question she said "He's going to be mad at me for saying this". Michael when asked if his father abused him said, "Oh, he's going to be mad at me for saying this, don't be mad at me, Joseph".

Whitney was showing the fear that abused wives emit. She was protecting herself with the statement and protecting him with an apology. Michael showed how he was not in any way a normal man. He was superhuman in his abilities and yet he was not human in his experience in this life. Michael was used from he was little (something many of us know), as a robot. I don't think that anyone took the time to make sure that his world was reasonable. Michael was like the guinea pig that the scientists used "for the betterment of mankind". Neither the fans who received this gifts, nor the media that made incredible profits off him, nor his family took the time to hug Michael, truly hug him. People cried at his death. They mourned. They said many things, some uplifting most depressing. But did they feel for him? Would they protect his children by not reading what the gossip columnists say as a way of showing their love for Michael?

I understand the beatings that Michael experienced at the hands of his father. I went through the same thing with a sadistic grandfather who disregarded the power of his strength as he put all his weight into making me feel the leather belt he used. I understand. Feeling trapped, because "Where could he go?" "Who would listen to a little kid?" The church certainly would not help, it's leaders are benefiting from the result of the forced labour upon the child. This was the child who became a man. A man who had no trust of people and used his gifts to buy his way into some semblance of peace and freedom.

Michael reminds me of the character Valentine Michael Smith, in Robert Heinlein's book Stranger In A Strange Land. The character Michael Smith was born on Mars to human parents who die leaving him alone, where he was raised by the Martians. He was discovered and brought back to earth where he had to learn about being human. In the end Michael Smith was killed when people started to fear that he was getting too much like Christ. Despite the fact that Michael finally "groked humans" got what it meant to be human, or so he thought, he could not move them to be kinder, more loving or more giving.

"What if God was one of us?"
What if Michael Jackson was a test for us? What if Whitney Huston is a test for us like so many misunderstood, incredibly gifted people that we put up on pedestals. What if Johnny Depp has so much more to share with us but he is forced to keep this to himself because he is being hounded by us. For the little bit of the sweetness of watching our icons squirm under the blinding light of our scrutiny could we be missing the bigger picture? Go back and listen to the words of the songs that Michal Jackson sang. Hear the words of love that Whitney Huston sang about.

I do believe that everything that we do for better or for worse we are doing because we are trying to find God - whatever that may look like for us. May we take a little extra time to truly walk in the shoes of the ones whom we judge.