Misplaced Priorities

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 24 hours, Michael Jackson passed away from a Demerol induced heart attack yesterday at the age of 50.

From what I gather on Twitter and other social media, there has been an astoundingly stupid amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the death of one man. While I agree it’s a tragedy, I believe that the last 24 hours only spotlight how misplaced our priorities are as a society.

My good friend Brian Kruckenberg asked the question on his blog “Michael Jackson got 50. How many will we get?” This is an excellent question.

In his post he asks:

But, most of you reading this have the same question I do. And, that is as big as his life was… “will it leave an eternal mark?”

The celebrity worship in this country is completely out of control. I completely understand the need to decompress from everything that’s going on occasionally, but seriously…. From tabloid TV to magazines to the insanity surrounding American Idol…. somehow we’ve lost our way.

There are people giving their very lives in the fight for human dignity, struggling to find enough to eat and drink, working hard to keep one step ahead of abject poverty, going through life without a chance of gaining an education…. but you wouldn’t know it by the news.

I know one person can’t do it all and I wouldn’t suggest we even try. The risks of burnout and compassion fatigue are real and high. But that doesn’t mean we should just sink into the latest episode of our favorite TV show or scour the web to find out the latest inane antics of our favorite celebrities and just think that “someone else” will fix the world.

It’s up to us. With all the tools of the 21st Century at our fingertips, it’s easier than ever to make an impact that can be felt half-way around the world…… and most times, it doesn’t cost us anything except a few minutes of our time.

So, I challenge my readers to do something to change the world. Blog, write a letter to the editor, call your Representative or Senator, volunteer some time at your local relief agency, sponsor a child through groups like Food for the Hungry or Compassion International…..just do something….you can even start simple, and focus on a single issue that really makes your heart hurt.

A wise man once said “If you’re pissed off about something and it seems like nobody else is…… that’s God telling you that YOU are supposed to do something about it.”

I think even if we blogged, which some might think of as a waste of time, we could change the world. Who knows… someone could come across what you wrote and be inspired to take action themselves. We’re a worldwide community today more than we ever have been.

We CAN change the world. Start today, before it’s too late.

What would you do if today was your last day?