Saying Goodbye to a True-Blue Aussie

So I've wanted to write this blog for a week now, however, I've been in New Zealand for the Make Change Conference.

As a result, I was away from the internet, and all other forms of media for the news that a true-blue Aussie, and brilliant actor, Heath Ledger had died.

I'm not going to wax poetic about the amazing man and actor that he was. He was only a couple of weeks older than me, and so I was actually the perfect age to watch his career develop. I remember rushing home from school to watch his first Television show "Sweat", and the questions I had when his character on that show was found to be gay. I remember going to see 10 Things I Hate About You at the movies, and laughing with my friends at how far that guy had come since Sweat! Heck, I even watched the TV Show "Roar" (though that had more to do with the Rent cast members that were in it than it was for Heath). Heath was a brilliant actor, there's no doubt about that. The thing I loved most about him though was his "I don't give a hoot" attitude about Hollywood. He was just an Aussie lad who happened to make it big in America. He was a first and foremost a loving father. In fact one of my favourite pictures I've ever seen of him is this one:




purely showing a dad who loves his little girl. Not a movie star who's actively seeking out media attention. But that's not what I want to write about.

As the news travelled by wildfire around the conference, there were many different reactions from "Who's that?" to "Who Cares?" To "How dare he". My initial reaction was one of shock and pure compassion for his daughter Matilda. At 2 years old, she will never get to know who her father is. All she'll have to go on will be what her family and friends remember about him and the movies that he's left behind. I think what bothers me most about this is that one day, she may decide she wants to read more about him, and will google his name - not to find stories about the brilliant actor he was, or the way in which he touched the lives of many around him - but she will find rumours and innuendo about how he died, why he died and so forth.

The fact is, right now we don't know how he died. We can guess it was an overdose, but there is no proof of that at this point, aside from the prescription pills found in his apartment. But the lack of evidence so far has lead to rumours and lies constantly being fed through the media and on the internet. Everyone is looking for that breaking story - following his friends and loved ones around. Trying to get the money shots of Matilda and her mother. It has become a circus. They're not allowing these people to mourn in peace, but are chasing them down. This does not honour the memory of a man who loved his daughter more than anything.

I was talking to some girls at the conference about it, when we had just heard he had overdosed. One of them turned to me and said 'You know what I think is the saddest thing, he has everything that the world says we need, but he still felt empty enough to fill his life with drugs. If he only filled his life with Jesus, he'd still be here today"... I got shivers. At the time I remembered what William Booth said in his famous "I'll Fight" speech:

"While there remains yet one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end"

I was challenged so much - how am I fighting for the light of God to be seen in the dark souls in my life? Heath was no more special or no less special than anyone else on this earth - every day there are people dying who do not know that they are loved and treasured by their Creator, and who takes pleasure in them.

But you know the saddest thing, is how some Christians have reacted to the death of Heath. For example the Westboro Baptist Church released this statement:




Two things on this:
1. Heath was not gay. He was an actor. He was a man who played the role of a man who loved another human being. Brokeback Mountain is a beautiful movie. Heath was brilliant in it. Christians have no right to judge Heath on his choice of movies, or confuse life with art.
2. God does not "hate fags". God loves them. He created them. What God hates is when we, those who say we love Him, judge and mock His creation. I know that I am called in my life to love those that the church often neglects to love. I have many many gay friends. I probably have almost as many gay friends as I have straight friends. I believe that what Jesus wants us as Christians to do is love people as He loves them. It is not our place to judge people. Who are we to be so special? So to the people at Westboro I say this - read your New Testament, and how Jesus loved people. Stop using one or two verses out of context to judge and mock one of God's beloved children. It is not making God proud of you with your convictions, it's making God angry. You are not helping Christianity, you are hindering it. So just stop.

And to you, my friends, I set you a challenge:
1. Pray for Matilda Ledger & Heath's family
2. Think very carefully before you buy into the lies and innuendo
3. Pray that God help you show the light of God to a dark soul or two this week.

So in closing I say this - I pray that Heath Ledger rests in peace. I pray that his family are left to mourn in peace. And I pray that Matilda will grow up to know not the trash that's on the internet, but that her daddy was a brilliant actor and that he loved her much.