Some entertainment icons died this week, and it makes me think….
Ed McMahon, lauded as one of the most famous side kicks, Michael Jackson evolved into one of the biggest side shows of all time, and Farrah Fawcett, who we saw a different side of, in her battle with cancer.
There’s a bit of a multigenerational response to their deaths. Ed McMahon represented a group who pioneered much of modern TV programming and development. Michael Jackson, the self proclaimed king of pop, shaped pop music for a couple decades and cut the edge in music video. Working with youth and teens in the 80’s forced you to interact with his influence on pop culture and music. Farrah Fawcett, marked the 70’s as a sex symbol, showed a meteoric rise in celebrity from obscurity, and rode that wave for years.
It makes me think about selective memory. We choose to remember certain things or episodes from these celebrities. Some remember the amazing dance and music of MJ, while others focus memory on the obscure behaviour and life style. Some remember the single season of Charlie’s Angels that Farrah appeared in, others more recent memories of her public account of her personal battle with cancer. Ed McMahon is oft remembered as Johnny Carson’s second chair on the long running tonight show, however some will recall that he was a decorated WWII fighter pilot and instructor.
I think we practice selective spiritual memory at times. Perhaps it is related to our propensity to compartmentalize our lives. Separating the spiritual, physical, emotional, mental…instead of viewing our lives in a holistic way. I understand God created us as whole, not fragmented, and His desire is to transform our entire person, His work to be seen in every realm of life – filled by His Spirit.