Loving A Stranger

The world mourns the death of a 20th and 21st century iconographic musical and entertainment genius, Michael Jackson. Death, whether sudden or expected, is always a tough reality to accept. Nonetheless, it's an inevitable part of a gift we have called life.

There are millions who are mourning the death of a man they never met. They are crying tears around the globe and saluting him because he touched their lives. He touched their lives with his pursuit of his passion, music. When we are born, we are born with gifts and talents. Some of us have the opportunity of sharing those with hundreds, thousands or millions of people. Whatever the case, our gifts to the world are mere extensions of us. Good fruit comes good trees, yet trees do get worn and torn from the hardships of life.

There are millions right now who can say they "love" this passing icon. Why love "just an entertainer"? Why love anyone for that fact? Why love a man who had what seems so much "baggage"? It wasn't his baggage that made us dance, sing or rejoice, it was his gifts. We love just because it's God nature on the inside of us. We are made in the image and likeness of God. God is love. We don't need someone to teach us how to love, it's embedded in our spiritual DNA. We can love "strangers" because their gifts and talents have blessed us, made us happy, made us smile, sparked good memories, encouraged us during a rough episode in our lives, exhorted us past our present and gave us hope for our tomorrow.

Love isn't deep, we make it deep. Can we love flawed beings? Everyone born is flawed, our parents, teachers, ministers, friends, politicians and etc. Charisma, gifts or talents doesn't make them deities of perfection. God created flawed beings that he would love. He loves us everyday regardless of, just because. Although we may have insights to a person's vices, flaws, indiscretions, weaknesses, brokenness, or sins, doesn't mean we can't love them. Love doesn't need permission. Love says, "I know you are an imperfect being, yet and still, I can look beyond that and still say I love you."