Who is the King?

It seems that everyone has weighed in on the recent death of Michael Jackson. (Except, Oprah, apparently, and the conspiracy theories abound.)

I wanted to talk about something that I observed during the televised memorial "service". The memorial was an odd combination of concert, funeral and eulogy. As these things go, especially with someone in the public eye, I thought it was a moving tribute.

I've been trying not to jump on the "people think MJ is God" bandwagon--at least not without some real proof. That was before I watched his memorial on television.

Many of those who stepped forward to eulogize Michael Jackson, spoke directly to Jackson as if he were present. I can certainly understand this. People of various faiths believe that the human soul lives on after death. Too, Jackson's casket was literally right below them in front of the stage (more on that later.)

What concerned me was the (as I see it) misplaced Christian references used during the funeral. There has been a troubling blurring of the line between worship of God and  media-fueled "worship" of a pop star.  I did not watch the entire broadcast, so I only noticed two specific instances.

Rev. Al Sharpton came forward and spoke in a rather subdued (for him) manner about Jackson and his legacy. At one point, he was gearing up, using emotionally charged rhetoric common to his particular oratorical style. He started chanting, "THANK you, Michael! THANK you, Michael!" in much the same way as a preacher might exclaim, "THANK you, Jesus! THANK you, Jesus."

The other moment came in the very beginning of the event. A gospel choir was on stage and began to sing, "Soon and Very Soon (We Are Going to See the King.") Immediately, I knew how some in the audience would take this. I was right. They began cheering and clapping.At that point , I noticed the surviving Jackson brothers wheeling in Michael's casket under a blanket of flowers and placing it in front of the stage. It was then, that I realized that the organizers of this memorial probably did not decide on this particular song being used as the pseudo-processional by accident. (Jackson, remember is called "The King of Pop".)

I literally gasped.

People are now using hymns written about the Divine Creator to refer to dead human beings. I can understand the impulse to use bits and pieces of one's religious heritage during times like these even when one may no longer believe. What I can't fathom, though, is using references to God to refer to the deceased, much less praising the deceased as if he were God.

I wonder if the general public honestly knows the difference.