Whitney Houston
The death of the singer Whitney Houston, at what is now considered a young age of 48, has shocked many people and generated much comment. No one disagrees over the fact that, in an industry filled with manufactured talent, she was the genuine article; an awesome voice that overflowed with beauty and soul. Sadly, she let drink and drugs destroy that talent. In fact, Whitney herself is reported as saying 'the biggest devil is me'. We, of course, don't know the details about Whitney's personal hurts, habits and hang ups that drove her to drink and drugs.
Although, this has all the makings of a classic morality tale ("do wrong things and you pay the price") we need to show empathy and love before judgement. There is something very unlovely about using someone as a warning of "how not to live your life". Whitney's death is first and foremost a tragedy. A death that is premature, is always sad and one that robs the world of such a talent even more so.
Secondly, we need to show not just love but caution in drawing moral lessons from this tragic death. Yes, as commentators have been quick to point out, Whitney seems to have started down the road to self-destruction years ago. Yet deep down in all human beings (whether believers in God or not) is a distorted perspective to see justice in disaster. When we hear of some tragedy or read the obituary pages we are all inclined to say "well, that just goes to show what happens when you drive too fast, do drugs or mix with the wrong crowd". Disaster, we all like to believe, is deserved. Yet as Jesus pointed out (Luke 13:4) in this life, tragedy and judgement are only loosely connected. Indeed the music industry is full of men and women who have abused their bodies in every way possible but who are somehow still performing and drawing crowds at sixty or seventy. In this world, a life of bad choices does not automatically result in sickness and early death, and a life of doing right is not always rewarded with longevity and wealth. In fact, to have such a simple view of cause and effect is to ask for trouble when bad things happen to us because we then add guilt to grief.
Finally, I am reminded by Whitney's death that gifts can be dangerous. Although welcome and to be sought they are not automatic blessings and need to be handled wisely. We should pray for those with gifts, whether musical, sporting or in any area, that they use them wisely. If we are those blessed with gifts then the wisest thing is that we acknowledge God the author of them and pray for protection.
Perhaps the most poignant comment on the life of Whitney Houston is that her first solo performance in church was to sing "Guide me O thou great Jehovah". Those words make a wise prayer for us all. But having prayed such a prayer, we do follow the guide, the good shepherd.
