By Chris WittsSunday 25 Sep 2022Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
Transcript:
I am familiar with the name Alice Cooper—and I guess you are too. The wild man of rock who shocked many people with his on-stage antics.
At the height of his music career, he drank a bottle of whisky each night, trashed his hotel room, and his battle with alcohol almost cost his marriage to Sheryl his wife. He used to be the poster boy for moral decay. He was a different type of performer who attracted a cult following. Many knew him as ‘The godfather of Shock Rock’.
An Amazing Transformation
I have never seen him on stage, but I have read about his antics—long hair and Gothic make-up. He was a magnet for publicity and lived the excesses of the rock-star lifestyle. He wasn’t the only one, mind you. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, 2011.
Alice Cooper grew up in a Christian family. His father was a church pastor and evangelist for 25 years, and his grandfather a pastor for 75 years. His wife is also a preacher’s kid. But his life changed—he started heading off to church with his wife Sheryl, and felt as if God was speaking to him every Sunday. Even at the pinnacle of his ghoulish career (which he believed was no more provocative than a horror-style musical) he still believed in God. But his personal life was a mess!
He experienced every pleasure that money could buy but found it did not satisfy. “I was the prodigal son. I left the house, achieved fame and fortune, and yet I was empty and lonely inside.” But he started teaching Sunday School at his local church when he wasn’t touring. What an amazing transformation!
He doesn’t believe in ‘celebrity Christianity’, and appears not to take himself too seriously. He said, “It’s easy to focus on Alice Cooper and not on God. I’m a rock singer—nothing more than that. I’m not a philosopher—I’m low on the totem pole of knowledgeable Christians. Don’t look for answers from me”.
The amazing thing is that he has helped other performers with their addiction issues. He says very firmly, “I can still be Alice Cooper, and be a Christian”. And I reckon that’s a very healthy statement. He has found a faith that changed his life, and he helped others save theirs too.
In his testimony, Alice Cooper says:
When you believe in God, you’ve got to believe in the all-powerful God. He’s not just God; He’s the all-powerful God and He has total control over everyone’s life. People aren’t feeling fulfilled by how many cars they own or the size of their stock portfolio. Even the addicts are saying, It doesn’t matter how many drugs I take, I’m not fulfilled. This isn’t satisfying. There’s a spiritual hunger going on.
And this statement is true. “There is a spiritual hunger going on”. Most of us think of food in connection with the concept of hunger. Sometimes our stomachs growl and then all we can think about is supper or a trip to the closest McDonald’s. Each of us has been famished for food sometime or another, but eating does not satisfy all our hungers.
Our Spiritual Hunger
We also have spiritual hungers that need to be satisfied if we are to become mature adults. That’s why so many people love to attend church on Sunday morning. To be fed spiritual food, which, in many ways, is more important than ordinary food. Of course, if you don’t eat you won’t stay alive.
One spiritual hunger or desire is to believe that life is meaningful and has a purpose. It is that deep, inner longing that cannot be fully satisfied with material goods, possessions or superficial relationships. How sad for those who never find meaning in their lives, who never discover God’s love, or who try to find happiness by acquiring more and more money or possessions.
Alice Cooper was struggling with excesses of music. Even sadder are the people who think life is over at death, or the ones who commit suicide because they believe there is nothing to live for. Christians believe in a personal God who is involved in each person’s life. We believe God cares about each of us individually and listens to us and knows the desires of our hearts.
In 1909, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three of his friends attempted to travel to the South Pole. They set off with four horses to help carry the load. Within weeks, the horses died, their food had ran out, so they tried to get back to base. Altogether, miraculously, they travelled for 127 days total.
Sir Ernest recorded this story in a book called The Heart of the Antarctic, and in it he talks about how much time was spent talking about food—elaborate feasts, gourmet delights, plentiful menus. As they staggered along, suffering from hunger, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating. Well, Sir Shackleton made it back—and as you could imagine, ate like never before. We can understand his obsession with food, when he didn’t have any.
Are you like that with spiritual hunger? Is God all you can think about because you are so hungry for Him? Jesus wants us to discover him as a personal Saviour.