Light of my life
Hope of my soul
Desire of my heart
Who knew it would be you?
And that you would be who you are?
To the world
To the children
To the heavens and the earth
Of Sacred worth
In communion with all that you are
Mystic... Shaman... Angel of God
Love personified
Dreams electrified
High art in human form
Mystery of our time
Power sent forth to heal the world
Dancing the dream
You endured such pain
Body and blood, heart and soul
Given to heal our sickness
Would take its toll
Our shadow was to blame
Now, we bow our heads in shame
Who knew it would be you?
Brilliant light cast upon the earth
Touching souls
Collecting and gathering
We, your children, into the fold
Before you would exit
Leaving us to be
Your messengers of love
To carry on your dream
Of a world filled with peace
Joy and harmony
Who knew it would be Us?
We are your children
Your chosen ones
Are we up to the task?
Do we have what it takes?
Do we even need to ask?
It's time to take the world by storm
To make truth and justice simply the norm
No more questions
No more doubts
It's time to teach the world
What this thing is all about
With love at the core of all we do
We'll be your voice
We'll tell them...
It was You!
It was you who believed in us all along
That's why you never stopped singing your song
You knew it would be us
Your love was the fuel
Igniting this fire
You knew we'd make a fuss
And carry on your desire
Mystic... Shaman... Angel of God
Love personified
Dreams electrified
Light of our lives
Hope of our souls
Power sent forth to heal the world
Who knew it would be you?
It's been a tradition of mine for many years to purchase one new Christmas CD each year to add to my collection. This year I decided to purchase the Trans-Siberian Orchestra CD entitled "Christmas Eve and Other Stories". To tell you the truth, I had never listened to their music before, although I had heard of them. This particular CD was produced in 1996, so it's been around a while. My general preference for Christmas music leans toward instrumental versions of classic carols or those sung by choirs. I also have artists such as Josh Groban, Jim Brickman and Michael W. Smith in my Christmas music library. Music that inspires is what I like to listen to, especially this time of year. Anything that tells the Christmas story and instills a sense of wonder and gratitude for the joy of the season and the precious gift of the Christ child.
I took my new Christmas CD to work with me the day after I purchased it, popped it into my boombox and began listening. But because I was busy working, I wasn't totally tuned in to most of the music except when a squealing electric guitar caught my attention. It surprised me because it wasn't what I was expecting - you might say I was even a little disappointed. Not that I don't like electric guitar, but it didn't feel much like Christmas music to me when I heard those parts! Nonetheless, I continued to play the CD as I worked. Soon there came a song that made me stop what I was doing to listen closely. A man's voice, a bit gritty and raw, was singing a ballad accompanied by an acoustic guitar. At first, I only heard his voice which touched something deep inside of me with its expression. I felt tears welling up and I didn't even know yet what he was singing about! I replayed the song and listened more carefully to his words and what I heard was a message as told in a story...MY story...OUR story of how Michael Jackson walked into our hearts and got our attention!
As you listen to the song and read the lyrics, think about this...For many of us, before Michael died, we were closed off, couldn't see past the end of our noses. We didn't even realize that there was anything we were missing...until June 25, 2009. Michael came into our vision and brought it into focus...he danced and sang his way into our hearts and taught us about all the things he had been noticing all along. Things that caused him heartache and concern for the world.
He noticed when a child or a fan in the crowd needed a hug...and he gave it. He noticed when a family or an individual needed help...and he offered it. He noticed when the world directed its prejudice or hatred toward certain kinds of people...and he spoke out about it. He noticed when we were blindly destroying our earth and not caring about the long term consequences...and he sang about it with passion!
He noticed when a sick or dying child just needed a touch or a smile...and he gave it with tenderness and Love in his heart. He was the little boy who came through the door into our sheltered world to show us what was happening outside, to shake us free from our comfortable places and help us to see that we could make a difference!
So, I decided to share this song with you here in hopes that we could be inspired to "somehow make this Christmas thing last"...
I wish you Hope, Peace, Joy, Love and always Inspiration this Christmas and throughout the coming year. May we continue to arrange to change the world as the Christ Child and our man-child have inspired us to do!
Old City Bar In an old city bar
That is never too far
From the places that gather
The dreams that have been
In the safety of night
With its old neon light
It beckons to strangers
And they always come in
And the snow it was falling
The neon was calling
The music was low
And the night Christmas Eve
And here was the danger
That even with strangers
Inside of this night
It’s easier to believe
Then the door opened wide
And a child came inside
That no one in the bar
Had seen there before
And he asked did we know
That outside in the snow
That someone was lost
Standing outside our door
Then the bartender gazed
Through the smoke and the haze
Through the windows and ice
To a corner street light
Where standing alone
By a broken pay phone
Was a girl the child said
Could no longer get home
And the snow it was falling
The neon was calling
The bartender turned
And said, not that I care
But how would you know this?
The child said I’ve noticed
If one could be home
They’d be already there
Then the bartender came out from behind the bar
And in all of his life he was never that far
And he did something else that he thought no one saw
When he took all the cash from the register draw
Then he followed the child to the girl across the street
And we watched from the bar as they started to speak
Then he called for a cab and he said J.F.K.
Put the girl in the cab and the cab drove away
And we saw in his hand
That the cash was all gone
From the light that she had
Wished upon
If you want to arrange it This world you can change it If we could somehow make this Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor Or even a stranger And to know who needs help You need only just ask
Then he looked for the child But the child wasn’t there Just the wind and the snow Waltzing dreams through the air
So he walked back inside Somehow different I think For the rest of the night No one paid for a drink
And the cynics will say That some neighborhood kid Wandered in on some bums In the world where they hid
But they weren’t there So they couldn’t see By an old neon star On that night, Christmas Eve
When the snow it was falling The neon was calling And in case you should wonder In case you should care
Why we’re on our own Never went home On that night of all nights We were already there
“Christmas Eve and Other Stories” Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1996
As we begin this season of waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I would like to offer a series of poems and reflections based on the weekly themes of Advent - the first theme being HOPE. The following poem was published in an Advent devotional booklet for my church this year which was written entirely by its members. I am pleased to share it with you here. I fully respect and honor the diversity of beliefs that make up our colorful world - a world that is filled with beautiful and unique individuals, all a part of God’s magnificent Creation. No matter what your beliefs, I think most will agree that there is a power which is greater than ourselves at work in the universe - a power grounded in a great love. My heart extends its warmest wishes to you during this season of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love!
Remember the Gift
Holy Spirit come, fill me with your love
wash over me, enlighten me, strengthen my belief in Thee
I need discipline to travel, this mystery of life to unravel
I vow to give my best, take time to nurture my faith
let it simmer while I wait
‘til Your guidance reveals which path to take
God of love and compassion
through my trials you have been my constant companion
but my patience is tested when it’s time for a rest
in my prayers I seek answers to my questions
You don’t always lead where I want to go
Your timing is not always mine
please give me the courage to believe what you know
My Creator,
You gave me fire in my spirit
then said, don’t fear it!
be bold, be brave, share the love which I gave you
it is true, it is right
it’s your beauty, your passion, your own special light!
What an amazing adventure this has been so far! Riding this wave of discovery, pain and love has been one magical experience after another. Yes, even in the pain, as difficult as this may be to comprehend. I think it's something only those who are on the same journey can fully understand. Others may hear our words as we attempt to describe the impact Michael Jackson has had on our hearts and on our souls. They may nod their heads and even say they understand, but in all reality, they can't possibly. It's just not understandable - it defies logic. How does one feel such a strong soul connection to someone they have never met? And how can one say they are grieving the loss of this individual more than they've ever grieved for anyone, including their own family members? That just seems wrong to anyone who has not been on the receiving end of Michael's immense light and love. I can understand their questioning and their doubt. I've had plenty of that myself along this path.
So, it occurred to me several months ago that my family members might be a bit bewildered by some of the poems and stories I had written about this experience, should they come across them by accident. What if something happened to me tomorrow and all that is left for them to piece together the mystery of this phenomenon I've been speaking of for the last year and a half are my poems and other writings which are kept in files on my computer? Some of the poems are quite personal and could appear to be proof that maybe I had lost my mind just a little bit! These more personal poems are some of my most treasured, and I would not want to leave them in the hands of someone who didn't understand the depth of this experience. If I had the opportunity to explain all of this to them through my writing, knowing they would be reading it after I was gone, what would I say? And recognizing that when someone dies, their loved ones suddenly see them more in the light of truth and goodness, I knew that anything I left behind for them to read would hold so much more meaning after I had gone than it would right now.
I decided to create a file that would hold all of my most treasured writings with a personal message about what this experience has meant to me and what I hope they will hold in their hearts after I'm gone. I would like to share a portion of that message with you here.
Funny...when I started writing, the first thing that came to me was a poem...
Michael’s Magic
To those who may read what’s in this file After I’ve gone to heaven’s domain I want to explain So you won’t think I was totally insane!
Rest assured, there’s more to this than meets the eye Michael has touched hearts with his love worldwide I have no illusions of physical love, my head is on straight, Just ask God above! Because He’s behind this, you can be sure In His grand plan, Michael was the lure His life was designed to get our attention Send the messages and make us question:
How do we live? Are we contributing to a better tomorrow? Or are we feeding humanity’s darkness, adding to the world’s sorrow?
How do we love? Are we kind and thoughtful, always forgiving? Or do we judge harshly how others are living?
When in our presence, do others feel our peace? Or do we cause tension, discomfort, or great dis-ease?
Think about it and read my words His love is a gift, it’s changed my world He made me realize That a love such as this can be the prize For a life of bliss, no surprise!
Our soul connection is just as true As anything between me and you God gave him to us for just awhile To teach us about a love worthwhile
Anyone can claim it It’s free to those who seek it His example was perfect No need to change it or rearrange it
To those who judge You’re missing the boat The greatest story ever wrote In plain sight for all to see His message of love will set you free
Michael never hesitated to express his love - for his fans, his friends and colleagues, his family, and most of all for God, as he expressed over and over his humble gratitude for his divine gift. He was a dynamic force for love in the world and all who knew him will tell of his other-worldly presence, the way he made them feel, always bringing out the best in those who could see and feel his light. They say that you won’t see the light in Michael if you don’t see it in yourself. To that I say, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘If I don’t see the light in Michael, what am I missing in me? Why have I buried my light? And why am I afraid to bring it out into the open? What is it about love and goodness that frightens me so? I want to know!’
If you really want to know, God will take your hand and show you his plan - you can be certain of a journey you will never forget. The path to your light may be difficult at times, even painful, but the love and enlightenment you experience along the way will be the most perfect, pure, and soul-freeing feeling you have ever known!
When I speak of my love for Michael and my soul connection with him, it is with an understanding of him being so special a gift to many, many others around the world. I’m not alone in this! But it feels personal to each and every one of us; and in a way, it is! It appears we have been “chosen” to share his messages in the world, for our own individual reasons. Our unique life experiences have drawn us each to his light, and we have been transformed. Michael’s love is a pure, perfect, selfless kind of love that most of us find very difficult to express in our “humanness”, for we are not perfect, nor are we entirely selfless. He has transformed millions of hearts around the world during his lifetime and since his death. He gives us hope for a better tomorrow, and makes us feel that it IS possible to make the world a better place.
We can only hope to live our lives in a way that brings out the good in others. To express and give the kind of love that has no conditions upon it, as a child does. The pain and suffering we experience in life often hardens us to that kind of love. Michael was unique in that he was gifted with an inner knowing, an understanding about that kind of pure goodness - the importance of love - and he expressed it so freely, showing us by his example that no matter how much life knocks you around or how much hatred and cruelty you encounter, it’s LOVE that lives on and conquers the darkness of man! He died trying to bring that message to us one last time, even after certain factions of humanity beat him to a pulp and judged him for things that were based solely on lies, creating a global misunderstanding of his true nature. Because man is so tainted by his own darkness: greed, ego, lust for power, call it what you will - but the reality of what happened to Michael reflects the darkest and most sinister aspects of humankind.
Michael was gifted with an extremely bright light - so bright, in fact, that we didn’t quite know what to make of it. He spent the majority of his life being very misunderstood, judged for being ‘different’, and portrayed by the media as a freak. He had a strong faith and a clear understanding of his purpose in life, his divine gift and how he was to use it. He stayed strong through all the ridicule. And although Michael attracted much darkness to him because of his bright light, his love lives on and is ultimately the most powerful force in the world! This is the message God is sending to us through Michael!
Michael’s entire body of work, everything about the way he lived his life, including his struggles and how he handled them, his appearance, his health issues, his childlike nature, his gentleness, his kindness, his passion as expressed through his music and performances, even his anger over the injustices in this world, were all designed to get our attention - to make us sit up and take notice! His death was the starting point of an “awakening” around the world. This phenomenon is growing, it’s gaining strength and numbers as more and more people realize they are not alone in this experience and as others come to a new understanding of the truth about Michael Jackson. As difficult as it is for many of us to accept, I believe he had to die for people to start searching, wanting to know more about this man who was such a huge presence in this world. Efforts to understand why many judged him so harshly have led to a new knowledge of the real man behind the mask. Technology has given us an opportunity to view and read about his entire lifetime of music, interviews, speeches, performances, humanitarian efforts and even unguarded moments captured on film. Altogether, we see an entirely different man than what was portrayed by the media all these years! Shock and disbelief at how we could have been so fooled has been a common reaction among many. Or maybe we just weren’t paying close attention. Even those of us who were not "so fooled" are still discovering many new truths about this genius who lived and loved among us for 50 years.
We have come to the realization that this is a time for us to take a look at ourselves as a human race, to become aware of the things about ourselves we would like to change, and to BE that force for change in the world! This is everything Michael was trying to tell us when he was here! It’s all in his music - and in his example, his entire life - available for us to see and hear, to finally understand why he was here! If we don’t see it, we are losing out - we will miss the miracle that is right in front of us! I believe that Michael was a spiritual messenger, sent by God to teach us, to show us how to live and love. To show us the darkest side of humanity, so that we would be inspired to make a change in ourselves and to do everything we can to make the world better.
The Boomer generation knows more than any what this is about. When we were younger, we believed we could make a difference in the world - change it for the better. We marched, stood, sat, chanted, rallied and sang for peace, love, equality, justice, and freedom of expression in an effort to make the rest of the world see that there was a better way. Previous generations had gotten too comfortable with their way of thinking, and it didn’t work anymore - things needed to change! And it was our time to bring that change about in the world. We did have an effect - change did happen and we made progress toward those ideals. But somewhere along the way, the Boomers' passion faded. Many of us “gave up” the cause when we grew up a bit more, got married, settled down, raised a family, got busy just making it through a day in our lives with all the demands of simply existing.
Michael represented the hope we had when we were younger - the hope for a better tomorrow. His messages echoed everything we stood for. And as he continued to rally for change and enlightenment, we stood by and watched with interest this force, this powerful energy in one single human being who never gave up - who stayed the course on our behalf, and he did it alone! God’s timing of Michael's life here on Earth was immaculate! Michael’s death, and the subsequent awakening of the world to his purpose was preordained in my opinion. The Boomers are now coming of age - full circle so to speak. Empty nesters coming into retirement are now ready to receive the message, and to do something once again to effect change in the world! Michael knew this. These lyrics from his song, JAM, reflect that awareness:
The world keeps changing Rearranging minds and thoughts Predictions fly of doom The Baby Boom has come of age to work it out
Although the Baby Boomers are not the only generation experiencing this awakening and receiving Michael’s messages, the timing of his life and his death, I believe, was part of a plan to bring the boomers back to a state of enlightened consciousness to lead the way, creating another global movement for change!
One of the most amazing things about this experience has been to see how he has touched people of all generations. Every age from toddlers to seniors are feeling his energy, not only in his music, but they are also experiencing his love and his goodness in ways that we could not have imagined just over one year ago. We have so much to learn from him, and my hope is that minds will continue to open up to the possibility that Michael Jackson may just have something valuable to impart to us all. Those who resist because they don’t understand, or they don’t “get” this thing about Michael, will spend their life missing out on one of the greatest gifts in our lifetime.
I feel so utterly blessed to be one who knows - to be "chosen" to receive this remarkable understanding! I hope and pray my loved ones and friends will join me on this journey, or at the very least open their minds to the possibility that what I am sharing is absolutely everything I say it is! Even if you don’t get it until after I am gone, please know that I LOVE YOU with all my heart and soul and I wish for the same kind of awareness to come to you in your lifetime - no matter what form it takes, no matter who the messenger. For you to know that this immense light, this perfect kind of love can be real for anyone who seeks it. And for you to understand why I behaved the way I did, why this was so important to me, and why it changed my life forever!
Now...to get to the question I know has been nagging at you since the beginning of all of this: "How in the world could she feel so deeply about someone she's never even met?" I'll do my best to explain. Along this journey, I have felt a sense of knowing Michael, of our souls being connected somehow, somewhere, without really comprehending how or where or why. This feeling was very challenging for me to come to terms with in the beginning - it took months for me to finally accept that it could be. I don’t profess to know with 100% certainty whether I have ever "known" Michael before, and I don’t imagine I will know with 100% certainty in this lifetime. What I do recognize is that God has worked very hard at cracking my heart and mind wide open to receive this Gift. It is a calling which I cannot say "no" to - it comes from God! And I have come to know without question that there IS a connection of some kind - a spiritual bond between two very like-minded individuals with numerous "threads" connecting us throughout our lives. These threads went undiscovered until his passing. And I didn’t go looking for them - they came to me! Too many synchronicities to make this connection only a coincidence. And too many "coincidences" to be anything less than part of a very grand plan designed by The Master himself! I have my own ideas regarding what it all means, which I have already told you about here. But I am certain there will be pieces of this grand puzzle which will remain a mystery until I leave this world. I have come to accept that and, in the absence of 20/20 vision, I have called upon my faith to simply BELIEVE that God, the infinite power and authority of the entire universe, knows what He's doing! As Michael sang in the song Keep the Faith..."the power's in believing." Now that I have come to believe, my part is only to seek direction and a willingness to act on fulfilling my specific calling.
Beyond this, I must add that I do believe Michael’s essence represents a universal kind of spirit and love in the world. There are many around the globe who have expressed the same feeling of a soul connection to him, so I am not under the illusion that it’s just me. His universal presence and appeal is, I’m sure, part of the plan to get his messages to as many people across the globe as possible. This makes sense, but it doesn’t change the feeling inside that it’s personal. And I believe that feeling is intentional. It's something God has gifted to us and he wants us to accept the Gift!
The poems and writings I have posted in this file are deeply private and they represent the very personal nature of my feelings about Michael and my connection to him. These are not the unfulfilled fantasies of a crazed fan, I need you to know that and believe it! These writings are my way of processing my feelings about this personal connection, my understanding of what it may mean, and my coming to terms with it. They express my deepest emotions, and they hint at how I am drawing from the inspiration I received from him in this process. Yes, I do feel a deep love for Michael - his heart and soul - Michael the person. I believe he represents the kind of love I have longed for all my life. I honestly don’t know if I will find it with another person in this lifetime, but Michael has helped me to believe in it again. I beg you to respect my experience and to help me continue his legacy of love which I hope I have passed on to you.
These writings are everything to me - they express all that I am at the deepest part of my being! If you destroy these, you destroy my being in this world. These pieces, along with everything in my journal, represent the culmination of my life experience. Through this soul awakening, I have come to understand that my entire life, all 57 years of it, was preparation for this moment in time. That’s how big this is! And that’s why it may have seemed to you at times that I was overly obsessed. Do not judge me until you have walked a mile in my moccasins! I assure you, this experience is as real as anything you experience in your day-to-day living!
How does a person explain an entire lifetime of something missed? A sense that a true spiritual kind of love has passed you by - that everything you believed in as a child was wrong and would never come to be in your world. How does one explain the feeling of emptiness in your soul because of the mistakes, the dead ends and the days of just existing? How does one explain that they’ve never felt a sense of purpose or known what God intended for them in this lifetime? How do you approach the latter part of your life without ever having resolved that? There has to be more to one's life than this! And then, the answers come! Completely out of the blue - totally unexpected - and through a person you never dreamed would be your muse! It’s been life-changing, to say the least, and I hope that you will find it in your heart to honor me and my memory for what I am striving to do with my life - that you can tell your children and grandchildren that their grandma and great-grandma made a difference in the world and you are so very proud of her!
My true hope is that you will gain an understanding of my heart and my soul - an acceptance of who I was during my time here on Earth, mistakes and all. That you will cherish and respect my memory and you will know and feel this great love as I have been so blessed to receive. If I have truly lived as I have been called to live, the things I have done to contribute toward a better tomorrow should give you pause for reflection on your own life and whether you are contributing to a healthier, more loving humanity. And you will remember this all began with a little Moonwalker from Gary, Indiana!
I have no doubt Michael Joseph Jackson will be remembered for generations to come, not only for his musical talent, but also for the ways he contributed to changing the world for the better and inspiring others to do the same. I expect the “flavor” of what we will hear and read about Michael in the years to come will change from the sensationalistic stories of a "weird" eccentric genius, to a more realistic view of a man with a heart who shared his immense gift in order to make the world a better place. A spiritual messenger living among us! May HIStory tell the real story, the truth of this man who lent his light, his magic and his heart to us for 50 years and beyond!
Have you ever had an experience that was extremely hurtful and difficult to overcome? Something that scarred you deeply leaving an emotional imprint that would define you for the rest of your life? Something that, no matter how hard you tried to escape its influence, continued to hold you in its grip, refusing to ever release you entirely? And, most important, have you had the kind of experience that made you wonder if there truly was a God, and if so, was He really as loving and all-powerful as you had been told?
Well, I have. As a childhood victim of verbal abuse, with some physical abuse thrown in for extra impact, I have experienced the power of words to cause irrepairable harm. And I have spent the majority of my adult life attempting to overcome its influence. Being a true rebel and a fighter, I have been determined to not let this thing or this person beat me down! I have survived many difficult challenges and learned so much about myself on this journey. And one thing I've learned along the way, as a good friend once told me, "God doesn't waste a hurt." I don't believe God causes hurtful things to happen to us; in fact, I believe He's right there with us in our darkest hour crying as deeply as we are over our pain and suffering. I do believe God provides opportunities for us to find and receive His love in the midst of our deepest hurt. And He also brings us to healing solutions and discovering ways we can use our experience to help others.
For many years, I have known there was something I was meant to be doing with my experience to benefit others, but I had not yet discovered it, nor was I entirely ready to release the experience. Then, after my soul-awakening following Michael Jackson's death last summer and several months into this life-changing journey, I was guided to someone who would provide an opportunity for me to make a difference in the world by sharing my story. Not only had Michael helped me discover a new gift of writing, he was also guiding me in ways to use that writing to carry on his work in the world! Providing a resource to help young people become more aware of the power of their words seemed like a good place to start. The first step for me was saying "yes" to writing a case study which would become a part of a new curriclum entitled "Words and Violence."
We all know about the abuse Michael suffered at the hands of his father and at the hands of a relentless money-hungry media only concerned with the story that would sell to the exclusion of the truth. Painting a picture of a 'freak' with their words became a favorite pastime of the media when it came to any news about Michael Jackson. It didn't matter what it was, they could take any little piece of information about Michael and turn it into something bizarre with their words. And the public bought it! And so it went for most of his adult career as a musical genius and the greatest entertainer & global humanitarian we've ever known. The media frenzy surrounding Michael would spiral out of control during the trial of 2005 when he faced false allegations of child molestation. And although he was found innocent on ALL counts, the media continued to portray him as a guilty man and they refused to seek out the truth. The effects of this experience would prove to be devastating to Michael. And some would say the media's treatment of him over the years, particularly during the trial, was a significant contributing factor in his death on June 25, 2009. Another case in point for the power of words.
Many of us who love and admire Michael for all the gifts he shared with the world in his lifetime, most especially his humanitarian work and his immense love and concern for the children, the planet and all of humanity... well, we have vowed to do what we can to make a difference in his name. To share the love that he has inspired in us through his kind and generous spirit, we hope to make the world a better place for future generations, as was his dream in life. Through the messages Michael shared with us in his music, performances, speeches, and in the way he lived his life, he made us aware of the many ways that we, as a human race, are falling short. Ways that we are gradually destroying the world around us and creating a world of hate, intollerance, violence, disrespect for each other and our natural resources, and an overall attitude of indifference towards it all. The "Words and Violence" curriculum is a first step in the direction of healing the scars on the face of humanity inflicted by an insensitive culture driven by self-interest and the desire for instant results in the age of a more advanced technology. If the younger generations can learn that the way we treat our fellow human beings has everything to do with the kind of world we create and the kind of world we inherit as adults, that world in which we raise our children and grandchildren, then we will have made great progress toward making the world a better place for their future!
I am proud and very excited to announce the release of the "Words and Violence" curriculum developed by Rev. Barbara Kaufmann of Inner Michael and several MJ fan contributors, including myself. Sponsored and published by non-profit organization, Voices Education Project, the curriculum includes many valuable resources, case studies and exercises to use in teaching middle school, high school and college level students about the impact of our words. The curriculum is available free of charge on the Voices Education Project website:
What prompted this curriculum was the horrifying realization after the death of...Michael Jackson, that the press perpetuated a protracted and disdainful portrait of someone who...was a global humanitarian and a champion of civil rights, human rights and the rights of children. An investigation into the lives and work of highly visible personalities like Lady Diana Spencer, Bill Clinton, Vince Foster and others revealed inhumane treatment and suffering inflicted by tabloid journalism and the resulting medialoid conversion of the mainstream press.
Michael Jackson followers will find several resources and case studies written specifically about him:
A Few of the Features of "Words and Violence" Michael, Diana and Bill as targets: WMD: Words as Weapons of Mass Destruction
I invite you to visit the site and browse through the curriculum. There are numerous other resources available unrelated to Michael that also provide essential tools for learning about the impact of words in our lives. If you are an educator or if you know someone who is, I strongly encourage you to recommend this curriculum! Pass these links along to all your friends and acquaintances on the internet. If there is a School of Journalism in your community, send it to them with a cover letter or better yet, deliver a copy of it in person! Anyone is free to use any part of the curriculum they choose - whatever suits their intended purpose. Also, please keep in mind that this is a work in progress. It is open to include additional resources if anyone is interested in contributing further to this imperative work.
This is one way we are making a difference in the world for Michael, by teaching future leaders, journalists, businessmen & women, politicians, lawyers, teachers, etc. the importance of our words and the integrity with which we live our lives and perform our jobs!
I am honored to have participated in the development of this valuable resource which was inspired by the lives and good works of Michael Joseph Jackson and Lady Diana Spencer. The Words and Violence curriculum is, therefore, dedicated to the memory of Michael and Diana.
With Love & Hope for a Better Tomorrow, ~ Charlene ~
"Words and Violence" Dedication
This work of art and love is dedicated to the memory of Michael Joseph Jackson and Lady Diana Spencer.
May your work on behalf of humanity finally be recognized for what it was—art in the service of humanity. May your memory be indelibly written on the face of humanity’s evolution toward its own brilliance and in the volumes that chronicle the journey toward a more humane narrative on this planet.
May the lives and gifts that you so generously gave to and for the humans on this globe be held in the highest honor and esteem they so richly deserve.
May we learn from the lessons you taught this world and may we also become worthy of your sacrifice.
May we soon come to understand that words can heal with the same magnitude that they harm. And may the children of the future learn that now from you.
Rest in peace gentle and magnanimous spirits. "We love you more."
This feature is reprinted from the Words and Violence Curriculum by
What an amazing adventure this has been so far! Riding this wave of discovery, pain and love has been one magical experience after another. Yes, even in the pain, as difficult as this may be to comprehend. I think it's something only those who are on the same journey can fully understand. Others may hear our words as we attempt to describe the impact Michael Jackson has had on our hearts and on our souls. They may nod their heads and even say they understand, but in all reality, they can't possibly. It's just not understandable - it defies logic. How does one feel such a strong soul connection to someone they have never met? And how can one say they are grieving the loss of this individual more than they've ever grieved for anyone, including their own family members? That just seems wrong to anyone who has not been on the receiving end of Michael's immense light and love. I can understand their questioning and their doubt. I've had plenty of that myself along this path.
