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Touch Point - I Missed My Chance to Lead Michael Jackson To Christ
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Pocket Full of Quarters Trek 2009 – Give ‘em Heaven
Touch Points
I Missed My Chance to Lead Michael Jackson To Christ
By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Cor 4:6 NIV
“Who is that?” I asked.
Everyone on the Disney World Train was excited. A television camera was pointed at the center of the commotion. I was sitting three rows back, with my two young children.
“It’s Michael Jackson,” the woman in front of me said.
“Wow,” I said, totally star struck. “Chris, Kelley, look, it’s Michael Jackson. It’s Michael Jackson.”
Michael was still young, clear eyed, and an American Icon. My young son had a “Michael Jackson” jacket and could break dance just like him. Michael was clearly enjoying Disney and being gracious to everyone.
I caught his eye and said hello. He smiled back and waved to us. We were thrilled. I considered talking with him but decided waving was enough. I could have talked to him. Others were. There weren’t that many people on the train and we had a while until the next stop.
Truthfully, it never occurred to me to wonder if Michael was a Christian. I never thought to pray for him, even when the famous American idol fell from grace and was the center of so much scandal and heartbreak. I was so busy being impressed by his star status that an opportunity to speak a word about Christ passed me right by. I’d never given it a second thought until he died. The irony of that is that it is now my full time job to speak a word about Christ to strangers.
I found out about Michael Jackson dying from Face Book. Someone wrote on their wall, “Michael and Farrah are facing God’s judgment now.”
I didn’t understand. You see, I am on a missionary journey, trying to lead people to Christ, and not paying attention to world news. When I found out what they meant, I was heartbroken by the news and the harshness of the comment. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died the same day.
I wondered if Michael or Farrah ever met Jesus. I remembered my chance encounter with Michael and wondered how many other Christians met him and were so star struck that they too missed their opportunity to speak a word about Christ.
I did an internet search on their religious backgrounds. If the information is correct, Michael grew up Jehovah Witness and converted to Islam. Farrah Fawcett was listed at Catholic but not active. Both were dealing with tragic issues emotionally and physically when they died and no information indicated they were walking with Christ. This was web-based information and may not be correct but the point was, I could find nothing to give me comfort about their spiritual state when they lived or died.
Recently, God has been showing me the great need for compassion among Christians. It has seemed like everywhere I go, I’ve heard harsh comments from Christians about the “sinful” state of the world and the people in it.
I’ve heard it about politics, actors and actresses, family members, churches, and much more. Every time I hear the angry words, I want to weep for the person speaking and the person or group they are speaking about. Where is compassion? What would life feel like without it? What would life look like and what would this world be like if all Christians had it?
What would happen to the world if Christians focused all of their energy on loving God and people more each day? Perhaps, instead of thinking about the star status of people like Michael Jackson when we met them, we’d love them enough to care more about their eternity than our thrill of meeting them. Perhaps when our politicians, pastors, family members, or idols made mistakes or fell from grace, we’d have compassion for what they must be going through or feeling to make such horrendous choices. That compassion would allow us to pray for them with a pure and broken heart. Maybe when we saw Christians missing the experience of feeling the compassion of the perfect Jesus who died for a broken world, we would weep for them and pray with a loving effective heart that touches the heart of Jesus. Imagine how bright the light of Christ would burn. No one could avoid being attracted to it. The world would change.
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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.
This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road as a traveling missionary, send your tax deductible contribution to Pocket Full of Change Ministries, POB 51205, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32240 or go to the donate button on the home page of this website.
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