Every now and then someone comes along in your lifetime that makes a massive difference. There has been a lot of controversy over the magnitude of recognition over a certain celebrity’s death. That doesn’t surprise me because there was controversy in this person’s life, as well.

Usually, looking from a biblical aspect, no matter what the circumstance or situation may be, it helps me to understand life, in general; also realizing I will never be able to understand everything.

As I sat the other day, watching the celebration of Michael Jackson’s life and death on television, my mind was suddenly taken away to a story in the Bible of a young boy who stood out amongst his brothers and was hated because of this.

His father recognized him as being special and made him a coat of many colors. This boy was also noted for his dreams and interpreting dreams. At an early age, he told his brother of two dreams that showed his brothers obeisance toward him.

Naturally, they envied the idea of their bowing to him and conjured up a way to get rid of him, so they thought. Not only that, he was falsely accused of performing an action that caused him to be put in a prison, but even prison couldn’t keep his brilliance from going ignored.

Then, as my focus came back to the television, I was surprised to hear this celebrity name spoken in its entirety, and his middle name was Joseph. All the years I have known this celebrity, I never knew he had a middle name and never guessed it to be of his father, being one of the youngest sons and not the elder. Traditionally, the eldest son is named after the father.

So, really, from birth, I believe he was to be a Joseph. The similarity of these two Joseph’s lives leaves me in awe. In looking at the comparison, I saw this celebrity, who was looked up to not only by his brothers/sisters, but the world. He was chosen to make a difference and he did. He was forced to be a man early, but dreamed of being a child always.

Every time they mentioned him as being a man, I only could grasp his life in a child’s sense. I really believe it was because of his humbleness and soft-spoken voice that did not allow me to perceive him as a grown man. From his magnificent voice that sang words that was beyond his years, to his entertaining spirit that captivated his audience attention, he became great to many.

His caring rocked a world as he made his way to aid in every humanity effort possible by a human being. His pleas of innocence were believed by some and not believed by others. His songs told his story of how life was treating him, and all we had to do was listen closely to his cries.

He also built his life and home around a never, never land, trying to create make believe. But even though his spirit did not age, we all know his body did and we all know that death is promised to all of us, not matter how important we are.

Although his life has come to an end, he will always be remembered and cherished by some and hated by other. But when you are special and have been set aside to make a difference in this world, it will happen.

His fame will be remembered all over the world for years to come and we must not forget that every now and then, in a lifetime, God give us someone whose life reflects just how magnificent and awesome of a God we have and that he has no respect of persons.

Trying to understand life is a lifetime of work, but remember to always let the life you live speak for you at your death.

Beverly Gibson is a Ferriday resident