Bad

Michael Jackson is bad. He said so himself. But does the subject define the object, or vice versa? What does “bad” mean? Who determines its definition, and by whose authority can we pronounce it on others?

At the recent passing of the “King of Pop,” masses have reflected on this man’s legacy with mixed emotions. Some overlook his strange personal life and now shed tears of mourning as they clutch an idol’s memory. They have seared in their mind the location they stood when they received the news, and marked that memory equal to “when President Kennedy was assassinated.” Now they reminisce with past hits in front of a memorialized shrine, and hope that Michael Jackson now leads a choir in glory.

Yet there are others that disregard all musical accomplishments and focus on his disturbing behavior. They assertively proclaim, “There’s a spot in Hell for [him].” Or as New York’s Peter King, persist calling him a “pervert” and a “low life,” amidst disputed child molestation charges and now rumors of drug abuse. For them, Michael Jackson’s passing is simply a “good riddance,” and an opportunity for more degrading humor at his expense.

How can such a dichotomy exist on such a man, or any man for that matter? Some lavish adoration and are blind to every blemish, while others vilify and ignore even the greatest of contributions. I’m sure Michael Jackson would prefer to be remembered by the former. We all would. It reminds of a Linkin Park song, “Leave Out All The Rest.”

I’ve never been perfect, but neither have you.

So if you’re asking me I want you to know;
When my time comes, forget the wrong that I’ve done.
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed.

And don’t resent me, and when you’re feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory. Leave out all the rest.
Leave out all the rest...

This song may be the cry of many, our deepest desire to leave a great legacy despite our mistakes. And how easy it is for us to appeal to our shared imperfections as reasons to be forgiven of wrong. After all, we’re all “bad.”

So are we confused in how to identify Michael Jackson… or perhaps the very label he claimed?

Are we not prone to semantics? We label injustice, “compassion,” and greed, “ambition.” We call self-serving behavior, “seeking happiness,” and perversion has become “love.” We pridefully deceive ourselves, and attempt to make our wrong, rights.

We’re bad, and we know it, but we desire to change the definition to lesson its intensity. However, bad is not “less good,” but “no good.” It is a word that is equated with evil and wickedness. Bad means that we have marred the very divine image that we were meant to reflect (Romans 3:23). Not through plastic surgery, but through our rebellious behavior. Bad means that even the good things we do is out of a selfish and prideful heart, using our talents and treasures merely to bring glory to ourselves. Bad means we are hopelessly and utterly depraved, capable of vile and perverse evil.

And this is of utmost importance for us to know and understand.

Because simply put, our current understanding of our spiritual state determines how we relate to both God and our fellow man. For if I understand that we are all equal, how can I idolize any human being? How can I romanticize him into some kind of superhero when he is no greater man than I? Furthermore, how can I be surprised when he does fall? How can I ever look down on him with contempt? We are all capable of great evil… even me. Even you.

We have all taken the first steps towards the most vile and evil atrocities. Where does child molestation start, than first a lingering adulterous thought? Our ignorance of evil forces us to attack the seemingly absurdity of this statement, for we tend to take God’s common grace with disdain. And our preoccupation with attempting to find the “good” in even the vilest of villains, is merely an ostensible fabrication of the fact that the same trace evil that drove them mad is present in all our hearts.

But it is imperative that we not only acknowledge this truth, but comprehend its depth. Salvation from sin is unattainable apart from it, for The Gospel begins with a repentance of our wickedness, not merely our imperfections.

John Piper says it this way: “Whether you see what the Bible says about your salvation as “Good News” depends in large measure on how hopelessly lost you think you are.”

I conclude that neither idolatry nor condemnation is the answer to Michael Jackson’s passing, but an awakening to our own “badness.” I am convinced that many have rejected Jesus Christ, not because they fail to realize they are “bad,” but because they do not understand just how bad they really are. For when one does acknowledge the depth of their depravity, true humility is obtained, and one can now approach their fellow man with meekness, and more importantly their Heavenly Father.