25 Jul, 2011
Something to Talk About?
Troubled diva Amy Winehouse dead at 27
LONDON — Few artists summed up their own career in a single song — a single line — as well as Amy Winehouse.
“They tried to make me go to rehab,” she sang on her world-conquering 2006 single, “Rehab.” “I said ‘No, no no.”’
Occasionally, she said yes, but to no avail: Repeated stints in hospitals and clinics couldn’t stop alcohol and drugs scuttling the career of a singer whose distinctive voice, rich mix of influences and heart-on-her-sleeve sensibility seemed to promise great things.
In her short lifetime, Winehouse too often made headlines because of drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, destructive relationships and abortive performances. But it’s her small but powerful body of recorded music that will be her legacy.
The singer was found dead Saturday at age 27 by ambulance crews called to her home in north London’s Camden area, a youth-culture mecca known for its music scene, its pubs — and the availability of illegal drugs. The London Ambulance Service said Winehouse had died before crews arrived at the house in leafy Camden Square. The cause of death was not immediately known.
The singer’s body was taken from her home by private ambulance to a London mortuary, where post-mortem examinations were to be carried out either today or Monday. Police said in a statement no arrests have been made in connection with her death.
Photo & Article courtesy of - The Herald Times
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
What does today's God's Story teach us about death?
When I first heard about the passing of Amy Winehouse I felt a complex mix of surprise, sadness, and also the sneaking feeling that this tragic death was inevitable. Most musicians or fans of music can tell you that age 27 is a tough one for rock stars. Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Curt Cobain, Jim Morrison all died suddenly at the age of 27. While it's probably total coincidence, there must be some lesson herel. Maybe it's simply that the human mind, body, and soul will give out pretty quick when exposed to the unholy, self endulgent excess of the rock and roll lifestyle.
Compounding sad irony on tragedy, my local newspaper listed their article about Winehouse in the "Something to Talk About" section. This section is typically reserved for headlines like, "Man afraid of heights gets stuck on ride", "Dominicans break record for continuous reading", "Woman repeatedly littered in one yard". To see the Winehouse story listed in this section made me feel like my local newspaper was in some way trivializing the story, suggesting that a story of sudden and tragic death is water cooler conversation fodder.
Proverbs reminds us that tongue, (what we talk about, and how we talk about it), can bring the power of life and death into the world.
So as you hear chatter about the Amy Winehouse death and the "27 curse", speak life into those conversations. Remind friends, family, and relatives that Amy was created in the image of God, she was a daughter, a friend, and her death should be mourned, not turned into a novelty. There are great lessons we can lean from stories of tragedy and death, but never when we allow ourselves to be amused by them.
How can I connect God's Story to My Story?
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to speak through you in times of death and tragedy.
- Be mindful of when you speak life or death into conversations. Ask those in the conversations how what you had to say made them feel, and if it brought them closer to God or not.
How can I connect God's Story to Their Story?
- Ask a friend what they think it means to "speak life".
- Talk with a friend about the Amy Winehouse story and speak life into the conversation.
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