For many people the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson,  came as a big shock. Up to 1 billion Jackson fans grieved over the loss of their hero. My wife also felt a sense of sadness as she considered him to be a man of impressive talent. I can concede that he had made an undeniable impact on the world of music...his talent will certainly outlive him. Personally, I have never been too much of a Jackson fan, specifically because of his very peculiar tastes and habits.

His death nevertheless caused me to reflect about our affinity for heroes. They come in many shapes and sizes, from all walks of life and at different stages of our lives. The one thing they have in common is their almost surreal ability to leave a rock solid footprint on us. Some inspire us to follow a long lost dream or a passion. Others motivate us to engage in a cause way bigger than ourselves. One phrase: 'I have a dream...', from Martin Luther King Jr. immediately springs to mind. A handful entice us to believe in the impossible - think about John F. Kennedy who dreamt of putting a man on the moon. Some die-hard visionaries like Walt Disney leave legacies of joy. And, yes, a few of them are willing to die for what they believe in and by doing so, inject fire into the human heart. We aknowledge people like pioneer avionic, Amelia Earheart, who disappeared during her flight across the Pacific Ocean.   

We can almost say that these people have some form of authority over our lives. They are "Who Saids...". Who said so, that's why it's so. We give sanction to their influence in our lives. They tacitly shape our thinking, which may very well be the springboard of a yin-yang paradox . Why? Because from our heroes may spring both good and evil. What do I mean?

Let's get back to Jackson. Despite his successful career and constructive impact on pop music and other genres, it is recorded that he was addicted to various kinds of drugs. What if naive fans would follow in his foot steps and commit to the same habits by virtue of having sanctioned his? How beneficial would that be to society? On the other side of the coin, he might have inspired a very unassuming person to become the next King of Pop! Thus, the good-and-evil paradox.

I am reminded of the fact that we all have our heroes and they can and will inspire us, but we must realize that they have their faults too. We must be careful what we sanction about them and be willing to rather draw from the God-given strength we have within us. And one day, maybe not far from now, people will say, 'I'm a huge fan of his', while pointing at you.