For we know from a spiritual perspective that the Truth does haunt those who do not expose it, and the Truth does haunt those who lie... so does the watchful eyes of the reaper. No longer will you fall short of glory because of those who seek to slander your name and empty your pockets of earned riches. Those who burdened you in life have already burned their bridges. So may you willfully rest in peace now Michael Jackson.
Specifically, prayers have been posted online by laypersons and clergy that are personally directed to Michael and his family. Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway, for instance, penned a prayer on Beliefnet for Michael and requested for God to grace this online community "with your loving presence as we take a moment to remember Michael Jackson."
She wrote:
Dearest Creator, we pray, Gently guide the soul of your son, Michael Jackson, back home. Hold him close, renew him. Enfold him in your divine grace. May he be healed and made whole again.
In this sense, while Michael's untimely death is without doubt a tragic event, online prayer rituals galvanize collective mourning to extend the longevity of his remembrance. This individual and collective media performativity across different outlets in space and time establish a consensual understanding of death, and apocalyptic visions of the afterlife. Furthermore, for faith followers, media rituals (invariably grassroots-driven) can also serve evangelistic purposes to seekers and as an encouragement to believers who are further challenged to pray for the lost, grieving, and conflicted.
It is said that celebrities never die, which may be particularly true for stars like Michael Jackson who are immortalized beyond their cultural works, and within the media sphere where the digital becomes the living virtual grave for the enactment of pious religiosity.
Pauline Hope Cheong publishes articles on the social implications of new media technologies. She is an Associate Professor at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication.
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