Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, died nearly 10 years ago.
The world was reeling from the 2008 financial crisis. Banks deemed ‘too big to fail’ got a pass on their immoral decisions; the indispensability of these companies let us overlook their indiscretion, supposedly. Ten years later, with #MeToo defining this decade, the world is now asking – is the King ‘too big to fail’? And this time, an easy pass does not seem imminent. Michael Jackson may be the greatest, but can we overlook the accusations?
Child molestation?
In March, Dan Reed’s documentary Leaving Neverland entered our homes and public discussion; in it Wade Robson and James Safechuck credibly accuse Michael Jackson of child molestation. With the realisation that the King is more fallible than we’d like to admit, we are forced to respond. There are three obvious responses: to stop listening to and purchasing his music; to defend him, assuming the allegations are false; or to keep consuming his music, choosing to separate the person of Michael Jackson from the music of Michael Jackson.
The right decision may not be obvious. Christians and non-Christians alike are searching for answers. Hank Stuever of the The Washington Post concludes: ‘With Robson and Safechuck’s words and descriptions still rattling around in my head … I’ve heard enough Michael Jackson to last the rest of my years. Maybe you have, too.’ And a handful of radio stations in Canada and New Zealand have already removed Jackson’s songs from their playlists. On the flip-side, protesters outside London’s Channel 4 offices believe the accusations are false, financially motived and should not have been aired. And then, somewhere in-between the two extremes, many believe one can listen to Jackson’s music without condoning his actions.
Purchases and approval
Being responsible consumers has to do with more than just Jackson and his alleged crimes. We must recognise that all entertainment purchases say something of our approval of those who created it. The products reflect the producer. Our purchases tell the world what we want more of, what we like. We may lament the culture that lifts high the famous and the rich and makes them feel invincible, above the law.
Andrew Sullivan wrote for The Gospel Coalition at the time of Jackson’s death in 2009: ‘I grieve for him; but I also grieve for the culture that created and destroyed him. That culture is ours and it is a lethal and brutal one: with fame and celebrity as its core values, with money as its sole motive, it chewed this child up and spat him out.’ While Jackson alone is responsible for his actions, we certainly share in the culpability for creating the culture that embraced him. We can’t ignore that our purchases make someone rich and famous.
So, should we buy music from the disgraced? Personally, the more infamous the crime, the more likely I’ll abstain from purchasing that artist’s goods. I’m not comfortable separating the art from the artist to such a degree. But others can, and there’s certainly some measure of Christian freedom in the discussion. Sadly, I’m sure I financially support all kinds of artists who engage in immoral behaviours; I just don’t know about it. There’s a limit to my ability to unearth the truth.
So what do we do?
We trust the true king. We trust in his sovereignty. We trust that vengeance belongs to the Lord; we cannot possibly hold the world to account for all its wrongs. We wait patiently and expectantly for judgment day, when our God will be vindicated. We ask God for wisdom (James 1.5) and discuss our purchases amongst friends and in churches, with pastors and elders (Proverbs 13.20). Christians can’t change the hearts of the Michael Jacksons of the world. We can’t change the motivations of the music industry. But we can continue to lovingly wave high the banner of our king and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must continue to tell the world that God is holy and we are not, that we are sinners who need a Saviour. We must care deeply for those who are destined for eternity in hell.
How do we care for them? It’s not by embracing the culture to avoid causing offence! We care for our neighbours by showing them the beauty of a culture that loves what is good and pure. In a culture obsessed by fame and money, we show love to our neighbours when our churches are filled with people who hunger and thirst after righteousness – when we hunger and thirst after righteousness. By God’s grace, we must be set apart, loving what God loves (1 Peter 1.15), we must be careful of how we live (Ephesians 5.15), we must strive to live above reproach. We can’t expect non-Christians to live as Christians, but we must continue to warn of the judgment coming for all those found outside of Christ on Judgment Day.
So, consider your purchases. What you buy matters.
