Dismissing Death
This is copied from the LICC email by Jason Gardner. Thanks guys
Inevitably, the true impact of Michael Jackson’s influence on the world will be measured not in album and video sales, or sold out world tours, but by the number and nature of conspiracy theories that already do, and perhaps always will, surround his demise.
It is apparently the norm these days for celebrity figures who die before their time to have the events and circumstances surrounding their passing scrutinised not only by pathologists, but also by press pundits and armchair sleuths as well. We love a good conspiracy theory: from the second shooter on the grassy knoll in Dallas for JFK's assassination, through to Elvis being alive and well and living in a timeshare in Benidorm with Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison (my own theory). And in an age where information and communication technology have made broadcasters and journalists of us all, those deductions and ruminations now come at a supercharged rate. I can't help but feel that all the rumpus created over celebrity deaths (and there are already wagers on whether or not the death of the 'king of pop' will have a bigger global impact than the death of Diana, 'the people's princess') points to the fact that somewhere along the way death has lost it's 'sting'. Not in the sense that Paul means in 1 Corinthians 15, where 'Death has been swallowed up in victory', but rather that contemporary culture has managed to divert our attention away from that ultimate statistic. Is this why we rarely speak of ultimate things? Death seems too unreal - something that happens a million times a day in movies and on TV could never happen to us, could it? And don't all those video games lie when they say 'game over' - isn't resurrection just a button click away? I heard a phrase that captures this cultural state the other day - our society has become 'death blind'. So perhaps the conspiracy theories really indicate a form of indignation: a refusal to believe that, even though troubled, someone as talented as Michael Jackson can be snatched from us by the whim of fate; surely the bright and beautiful get to live forever? Or maybe our refusal stems from a deep-seated resentment that we can't glaze over the truth about death. There is another truth about death though. Paul is clear that death is an enemy of God - he who is the source both of all life and all love - and as such death's days were always numbered. For those of us whose days are now without number, we have a duty to quell the anxieties of those around us with a hope that springs eternal.
Inevitably, the true impact of Michael Jackson’s influence on the world will be measured not in album and video sales, or sold out world tours, but by the number and nature of conspiracy theories that already do, and perhaps always will, surround his demise.
It is apparently the norm these days for celebrity figures who die before their time to have the events and circumstances surrounding their passing scrutinised not only by pathologists, but also by press pundits and armchair sleuths as well. We love a good conspiracy theory: from the second shooter on the grassy knoll in Dallas for JFK's assassination, through to Elvis being alive and well and living in a timeshare in Benidorm with Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison (my own theory). And in an age where information and communication technology have made broadcasters and journalists of us all, those deductions and ruminations now come at a supercharged rate. I can't help but feel that all the rumpus created over celebrity deaths (and there are already wagers on whether or not the death of the 'king of pop' will have a bigger global impact than the death of Diana, 'the people's princess') points to the fact that somewhere along the way death has lost it's 'sting'. Not in the sense that Paul means in 1 Corinthians 15, where 'Death has been swallowed up in victory', but rather that contemporary culture has managed to divert our attention away from that ultimate statistic. Is this why we rarely speak of ultimate things? Death seems too unreal - something that happens a million times a day in movies and on TV could never happen to us, could it? And don't all those video games lie when they say 'game over' - isn't resurrection just a button click away? I heard a phrase that captures this cultural state the other day - our society has become 'death blind'. So perhaps the conspiracy theories really indicate a form of indignation: a refusal to believe that, even though troubled, someone as talented as Michael Jackson can be snatched from us by the whim of fate; surely the bright and beautiful get to live forever? Or maybe our refusal stems from a deep-seated resentment that we can't glaze over the truth about death. There is another truth about death though. Paul is clear that death is an enemy of God - he who is the source both of all life and all love - and as such death's days were always numbered. For those of us whose days are now without number, we have a duty to quell the anxieties of those around us with a hope that springs eternal.
Comments
Post a Comment