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Though it has been well over a year since Ozzy Osbourne died, I found myself crying over him early this morning as I was running some errands. Known to many as "The Prince of Darkness," Ozzy is perhaps just as misunderstood as he is beloved. He was not a perfect person (and who is?) but his persona was merely an act that benefited his career. For some, it was just another thing to be angry about. For others, it caused them to look deeper and discover the kind-hearted, socially-aware, rock n' roll superstar that was Ozzy Osbourne.
I have shared some of Ozzy's God-centered, theological material from his Black Sabbath days in previous newsletters, but today I wanted to share with you a song from his solo career. The song is called "Dreamer" from Ozzy's 2001 album Down to Earth.
At its core, the song is about Ozzy's hope for humanity and the earth. He "dreams of better days" than the one's we are currently living in: days where he fears for Mother Earth's survival, days where people are fighting for their lives, days where we are helplessly watching history repeat itself. Though it was written 25 years ago, this song is wildly applicable today.
Perhaps the part of the song that has stuck with me the most over the years is the bridge: Ozzy sings: "Your higher power may be God or Jesus Christ. It doesn't really matter much to me. Without each other's help there ain't no hope for us. I'm living in a dream, a fantasy."
Peace on earth, world citizenship, global serenity and joy are just fantasies without unity. The problem is, most human beings mistake unity with conformity to some religious ideology or system of governance. Too often we think the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20) means that unless we are all Christian, we will never be united.
But Jesus doesn't say that! Nor does the Bible say everything we need to know about God and humanity. Though Ozzy was a Christian himself, I believe he understood the fine line between making disciples of all nations and making all nations disciples. We do not all have to be the same, but we do need to be united.
Perhaps that is what St. Paul means when he encourages the Philippians to "make [his] joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one spirit and of one mind" (Philippians 2:2). It is not that he expects them to agree on everything or be exactly alike, but rather that they would have the same love. That they would be unified in the same Spirit of Love, thinking and discerning-- even disagreeing-- in the same mind of Love.
If there is anything I know for sure, its that our differences are by God's design for creation. No two oak trees share the same leaves though we can tell they are both oaks. No two cats have the same patterns even if they are the same breed. Likewise, no two people are exactly alike, yet they share the same image of the same God. If we are willing to accept this truth alongside the abundant mysteries beneath it, then perhaps Ozzy's dream will no longer be a dream. I pray that it will be so.
~ Rev. J. Davis Creach
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