A few weeks ago at supper my husband made a Michael Jackson joke at the dinner table (I'll spare you the details). My children, who are not very knowledgeable of popular culture (especially that of their parents' generation), did not get it. So we had a Michael Jackson lesson--who he was and is (with some discussion of how he got to be that way)--and then we marched over to the computer for some audio-visual aids. We spent at least half an hour watching Michael Jackson videos from "ABC" on Ed Sullivan to "Thriller" to "Billie Jean" (including that famous moonwalk on the Grammy Awards) to "Man in the Mirror." As we watched the "Man in the Mirror" video we identified the various historical events that are pictured in the video.
What would we do without YouTube? We have frequently used it in this way, not only for recreation but for education. It's a vast and rich resource, and it's FREE!
One suggestion: if you have not used YouTube before and decide to give it a try, avoid the comment section. You can do so by simply not scrolling down. The comments are not moderated and can sometimes be profane.
In case you want to walk down memory lane (or give your children a 20th century history lesson), here's that "Man in the Mirror" video--one of MJ's best songs, I think.
2 comments:
I have bad memories with "Man in the Mirror." It was used as the object lesson in a Lutheran Youth Encounter retreat I went to in Missouri. All law, no gospel.
Ouch.
This is a left-hand, not right-hand kingdom song. And my take on it is that it talks about the individual citizen's responsibility to do what he can to help others in his midst as opposed to looking to someone else or the government to do something. Really, it's a rather conservative view of social activism! But of course, most people probably don't take it that way. And to use it in a spiritual context is really horrible. "I'm looking at the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to change his ways." We are stained by sin and can't change our own ways but can only hope in Jesus to wash us clean.
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