Between Two Worlds

If you have any doubts about the way in which Michael Jackson is being treated as a messianic figure, Professor Cornel West of Princeton makes it explicit:

It's almost like a crucifixion, in terms of the cross you have to bear. We reap the fruits of the resurrection, in terms of the power that emanates from [Jackson's] sacrifice. He sacrificed his childhood because he loved us so. He didn't just entertain us, he sustained us.

Cited in John Kaas's Chicago-Tribune article today.