This weekend Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker) passed away. She has battled with cancer for several years. As with her whole adult life, the battle with cancer was displayed for the world to see on television. I was shocked when I saw her on Larry King Live this past week. She had dwindled to around 60 lbs. She passed away a few days later and the reports on television, in the print media and on the Internet have been everywhere.
I am wondering this morning how does someone who was at one time hated by the mainstream media and by many in the religious media go from “mocked” to “darling” in a few short years. It was only yesterday it seems that she and her former husband were all over the television for racketeering and tax evasion. She was made fun of for her extravagant lifestyle and outrageous makeup. There were no few detractors in the media who castigated her for what some might call “manipulating” people into sending money to a ministry in hopes of material blessing and a room with a view.
Tammy Faye had a resurgence in the last several years in terms of media coverage. After her former husband went to prison, she married his friend and business partner and then watched as he went to prison for fraud. She became heavily involved in the homosexual community as an AIDS activist (her memorial service was officiated by an openly gay pastor) and seemed to somehow come out of all this on top as far as the media is concerned.
How does one go from being the “butt of the jokes” to seemingly “darling” of the media.
Death, I guess has a way of making us recall the positive qualities of an individual. For that, I am grateful.
Tammy Faye – influence in the kingdom of God (positive or negative, you decide), brought attention to the kingdom of God (positive or negative, you decide), her children are involved in ministry today, she has tried to help those less fortunate than herself, brought attention to a terrible disease and those who have the disease.
Don’t misunderstand this post, I have many questions about Tammy Faye and her lifestyle. My posting about her death and her life does not condone what she was involved in or represented. I am just wondering aloud about the apparent dichotomies of life and practice in a person.
