Earlier today, the world paused in memorium of Michael Jackson. A tragic life with a tragic finale was honored.
You might wonder what this has to do with a Children's Ministry blog and to that I say...believe what you will, but in my heart, I think this man was a real Kid Magnet...and not in any of those ways that he was accused.
I do not come to you today as a lawyer, seeking acquittal. MJ has already been found innocent of all charges brought against him. I can think of many, many reasons why the allegations brought against him were false. But, at the end of the day, nothing speaks louder to me than the settlement. As a Kid Magnet...an advocate for children...there is no way I would ever allow someone to buy me off and shut me up if they had hurt my child. It just wouldn't happen. And, in my opinion, these were money hungry people, chasing the almighty dollar with no regard for truth.
I do not even come to you as fan. His music has always been something that I would sing along to, but I never Googled him, sought out news articles about him, or followed Gossip columns reporting the latest details of his life. Only in the past couple of weeks, have I been made of aware of the vast amount of humanitarian efforts he was a part of.
Today, I come to you as always. As a Kid Magnet myself. A woman who loves kids and loves people who loves kids. Grown up people who realize that kids are not the future. They understand that kids are the right now and that they have value just because Jesus said so. Grown ups who get that rock my socks.
I myself am a single woman who cares deeply for children. I am sure that God has shaped me to love His kids and share Him with them. And I have to admit, that I have been in some of the same situations as MJ in my journey of working with children. I have allowed children to spend the night at my house because they needed some peace from a tumultous home life. I have brought children into my life and developed meaningful relationships with each of them. I would consider many of them friends. I do not have children of my own, and maybe I never will, but I am sure of my calling to mold this generation into a generation of believers and doers. So, I do whatever it takes to reach these kids. And if that means giving them a break from an abusive father by allowing them a night at my home, then so be it.
To the world, this kind of love seems strange. Because of Michael Jackson's legal issues, I have been made very aware of how the world sees adults who pour everything they have into children who don't belong to them. But, to Jesus, it is just another day...another way of sharing His love with a group of people who really matter to Him. Jesus is the Ultimate Kid Magnet and he admonished his disciples when they thought that His involvement with children was strange. (Read all about it.) He commanded us to love them because He loves them.
And I believe that Michael Jackon explemified this kind of love. For example:
- He donated proceeds from the 1988 song "Man in the Mirror" to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a camp for children who suffer from cancer.
- He donated all the money he received from his Pepsi endorsements -- $1.5 million -- to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children at Brotman Medical Center in Culver City. Jackson had been treated there when he was burned during the production of a Pepsi commercial.
- Before a concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988, Michael met with Prince Charles and Princess Diana, handing over checks totaling more than $400,000 for the Prince's Trust and a children's hospital.
- He founded the Heal the World Foundation to fight illness and poverty among children around the world.
At the end of the day, you will believe whatever you believe about Michael Jackson. As his legacy unveils itself, I believe it will reveal a man who showed the love of Jesus with some kids in some really bad situations and made all the difference in their lives. I can only hope my own legacy is a portion of that.
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