I join the worldwide chorus of voices mourning recording artist and pop icon Prince. Prince and his protégés including Andre Simone' provided the soundtrack for my coming of age -- songs that kept me groovin' through high school and college and into marriage.
Prince's death at the relatively young age of 57, says to us all that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. In particular, we must live our lives with an eye toward the fact that one day God is going to call us home. Indeed, Prince's signature song was Purple Rain and this song is a reference to the last days. In speaking about the song, Prince is reported to have said,
When there's blood in the sky - red and blue equals purple...Purple Rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/God guide you through the purple rain.
To make certain that we're able to stand on that day when the Lord returns -- on that day when it rains purple, we first and foremost have our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. As we know, the Bible says "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Furthermore, we also know that faith without works is dead (James 2:17), and so in addition to faith in Christ, we also need to get busy doing the work of the Lord. This work includes feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and acting on behalf of the least of our brothers and sisters.
One of the things that I loved about Prince, is that not only was he an inspiring artist and musician, but he was also a brother who gave back to the community. For him being an artist wasn't just about the music, but it was about what he could do with his God given talents to make the world a better place. He gave of himself as a silent philanthropist and sought to unite all people under the banner of peace, love, and hope -- desiring to see all make it through the purple rain!
