I’m writing this fresh after watching Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS movie last night. I found it a creative, moving but disturbing representation of a cultural icon - filmed on location in Australia no less. Like many others I was freshly impacted by the conflict and tragedy of Elvis Presley’s unparalleled life. As his song Suspicious Minds says, here was a man truly ‘caught in a trap’.
But lest you fall for the surface narrative, there’s more going on here than an overweight middle-aged rock superstar dying from a drug overdose. The ‘trap’ Elvis was caught in goes much deeper than his manager (played by Tom Hanks) stealing his money, keeping him holed up in Las Vegas to prevent him from leaving the country, or keeping him addicted to sleeping pills to get through frenetic tour schedules. When I lift the lid and look a little deeper, the trap that Elvis was caught in is one I can recognise in my own life as a young musician with a dream to fly and make my mark. It’s a subtle snare that I want to warn others from accidentally placing their foot into, particularly artists and leaders, and especially if you think you are immune just because you happen to be a Christian. You’re not.
a fantasy that blinds
As if by a baton-pass, this morning I was prompted to watch this documentary about another American musician from the 1970’s who, like Elvis, died a young and tragic death. Although less famous, they were not dissimilar - both gifted and charismatic, their star on the rise, struggling with drugs - except this one found a way out of the trap. This artists name is Keith Green, and the documentary is from the song of the same name, ‘Your Love Broke Through’. The lyrics describe Keith’s journey sifting through the lure of musical success, which he describes in hindsight as a blinding fantasy:
Like a foolish dreamer trying to build a highway to the sky All my hopes would come crashing down and I never knew just why Until today when You pulled away the clouds that hung like curtains from my eyes Well I’ve been blind, all these wasted years and I thought I was so wise But then you took me by surprise
Like waking up from the strongest dream, how real it seemed Until your love broke through I’ve been lost in a fantasy that blinded me Until your love broke through
For Green, after years of pursuing the music stardom dream, along with drugs and spiritual exploration, the ‘trap was finally sprung’. Keith had placed his foot in the snare of the worlds promise that he would find meaning through music and fame - an intoxicating combination - but was getting frustrated at still coming up empty. As Elvis knew all too well, the magic of an artist’s gift is incredibly satisfying - like a drug in itself - so much so that you can easily get lost in it and mistake it as the end goal. I know this magic drug well. Because the human heart is instinctively made for something deeper, we are tempted to keep reaching out to fill it through the magic of the gift.
Then along comes a second and even more intoxicating wave - the recognition and praise of others for our gift: ‘I love it when you sing’, ‘You have such an amazing voice’, ‘Wow you are incredible.’ We drink in this potion like thirsty travelers, desiring more than anything else the love and affirmation and approval of others. Who doesn’t? We all do, because love and acceptance are what our hearts were created for. Yet ‘this is dark magic’ as CS Lewis might say. The strange paradox is that the love and recognition we yearn for can only be achieved through giving up trying to attain it, by putting death to our ego, and surrendering even our most deeply held dreams. How does that work? I’m not sure, but as Sting sang, “If you love somebody, set them free”. Try holding onto your life and you’ll lose it. Somebody famous said that. It’s a thing.
AN AUDIENCE OF ONE
Jesus knew this truth well. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single seed, with no life” he said (Jn 12:24). Talk about the lure of popularity - he oughta know! The devil employed this temptation with Christ in the desert too so it must have known it would be a strong one. At times the crowds clamouring around Jesus became so intense that he and his security entourage couldn’t even sit or eat. And that is exactly why, time and time again, we see Jesus escaping to get away alone, rising early in the morning before anyone could notice to go to deserted places and pray.
When you pray, go your room, close the door behind you and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matt 6:7
And here we see the answer to Elvis’ and humanity’s deep need: relationship with God. A lifegiving, private, real, sustaining relationship with our heavenly dad. This is the secret that even Jesus knew was absolutely necessary to balance his own life of giftedness and popularity in the public eye. It was the private devotion to an audience of One. A song that stuck with my wife and I years ago goes:
“I’ll be content to serve an audience of One
Only His approval counts when all is said and done
And this is my prayer when all is said and done
I wanna hear ‘well done’ from the audience of one”
I’m not presuming to make any judgements about Elvis’ relationship with God; it’s clear that his Christian faith and spirituality were important to him. But I don’t think anyone would deny that the King of Rock’s lifestyle and passing were not increasingly tragic and sad; certainly not ‘his best life’ God had in mind.
I’m so glad on the other hand that Keith Green saw through the gloss of worldly success in time and rejected it. When he handed his life over to Christ in a small Hollywood bible study and surrendered his pursuit of fame and self, he found both himself and his true calling.
Wanna know why I’m so glad he did? Because some 20 years later, a teenage girl in Australia, herself trapped in a world of confusion and drugs, would be radically transformed when introduced to Keith Green’s music and story. It was like ‘the curtains were drawn back and light came flooding into the room’ she says. A few years later, she would meet a young muso, himself impacted by Keith Green’s ministry and music, and they would fall in love and get married. That guy was me and that girl was my wife Kym. Words cannot express how grateful we are for the ministry of Keith and Melody Green and the impact they have had on our lives! Elvis? He didn’t even enter the picture.
christians - you’re not off the hook
There is no doubt Elvis was an incredibly gifted soul. He was a cultural superstar with ridiculous talent and calling. But he was lost. Keith Green too was lost, drowning in the confusion and lights of the world, but mercifully ‘God’s love broke through’ which changed everything.
I know myself what it is like to have a rare natural musical talent, and also to desire the praise and recognition of others. I wonder how many of us Christians, especially pastors, worship leaders and musicians, may unconsciously be seeking the love and affirmation of others instead of the audience of One? It’s entirely possible you know. Many have tried.
How many of us worry a little too much about our image, what other people think, how those in our congregation or on social media perceive us, or about the numbers and success of the ministry projects we are busy driving to achieve… all for Jesus, of course. How much is it about Gods success and how much is it about our success? How much is it about Gods approval and how much is it about others approval? Are we resting confidently in Gods love as a son or daughter, or we secretly hoping and looking for others affirmation to tell us we are good enough? There’s no judgement here, it takes one to know one :-) In the meantime, here’s a verse to keep your gifts, talents and success in a place of ongoing surrender and perspective; I’ve found it to help me.
All the best!
“Whoever tries to hold onto their life will lose it; but whoever loses their life for my sake will keep it” - Lk 17:33