Impersonating "The King"
By Karen D'Amore
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)
Elvis Aaron Presley died on August 16, 1977 at the young age of 42. An American singer, musician and actor, "Elvis" was one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. Referred to as the "king of rock and roll," many called him..."the king." Since his death, Elvis has remained one of the world's most popular music icons, as well as, one of the most popular celebrities impersonated. [1]
During my brief residency in Las Vegas, I quickly learned that "Elvis" was synonymous with "Vegas!" The streets, The Strip and entertainment stages were saturated with Elvis impersonators. Truly a one-of-a-kind with distinct attributes! His curled lip, gyrating hips, jumpsuits, colorful collared shirts, long sideburns and famous phrase: "thank you, thank you very much" were (and still are) his commonly mimicked characteristics. Some of the impersonators I witnessed were ridiculously poor; others bore so close a resemblance, one would think "the king" was still alive.
Thirty-six years after his death, millions of devoted followers and thousands of impersonators actively seek to keep "the king's" memory alive. This, to me, is a powerful testament to the multitude of lives touched by Elvis.
Researching the life of Elvis Presley, I found some interesting parallels to the life of Christ. Those close to Elvis tell of his passion for the Bible and fervent pursuit of God. Later in life, he became a prisoner to success and appeared to wander from The Truth. [2] In hindsight, one might conclude that Elvis (in a convoluted way) was attempting to model his life around spiritual truths and impersonate the Jesus he longed to know. It's reported that when fans acclaimed Elvis as "the king," he would reply, "I'm not the king. There is only one King." [3]
Scripture refers to Jesus as "THE King." As Christ-followers, we are exhorted to impersonate Jesus... "THE King!" With His distinct virtues and attributes poignantly revealed throughout Scripture, we need to meditate on The Word to learn how to imitate Him and follow in His footsteps.
Considering the range of poor to excellent Elvis impersonators, I'm drawn to reflect on myself as a "Jesus impersonator." Do I walk like Him? (Colossians 2:6) Do I talk like Him? (Colossians 3:17) Do I think like Him? (1 Corinthians 2:16) Do I love like Him? (Matthew 22:37)
As those impersonators who look nearly identical to Elvis draw people to believe "the king" is still alive...we as Christ-followers should so closely impersonate Jesus that we reflect to the world... "THE King" is alive in our lives!
GOING DEEPER:
1. How well are you impersonating Jesus?
2. Are there attributes being poorly imitated?
FURTHER READING:
Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and a Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She also serves on the Oakwood Women's Ministry Special Events team.
