A SHORT CHRISTIAN COMMENTARY ON THE PASSING OF DAVID BOWIE

I’m a David Bowie fan. I am not a super-fan but passionate enough I guess.

Classic Rock is one of my favourite music formats although I can’t claim to know it as well as my radio friend Jeff Woods.


For many years "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" was, and still is one of my all-time favourite albums. After that I am a Bowie fan on a song-by-song basis. Most of his work after "Station To Station" was too avant garde for me and I have heard most of it. I’ve followed him in the news stories over the years and I have seen him twice in concert.

A likely question from my Christian friends is, "Wasn’t David Bowie gay, or a transsexual?"

I can’t confirm if he was anything other than heterosexual. I know he was married, twice. And there are children. I am aware of his statements to Rolling Stone magazine about being bisexual.

I can’t comment on his personal life - I did not know him personally. I don’t have any right to judge his actions. Only his family and close friends have that right.

There are stories I’ve heard about Bowie that I don’t agree with but I could apply that to my friends. I don’t agree with everyone about everything they say and do but I can still appreciate their talents regardless of their religious beliefs. In other words, you don’t have to be a Christian for me to admire things you’ve done.

Did Bowie believe in God? To answer that would be a guess because I don’t know how he lived his nonpublic life. Based on his lyrics I would say he believed in God very much. There are many references to God in his songs. I also recall that at the 1985 "Live Aid" concert, he went down on one knee and prayed the Lord’s Prayer. I was not a Christian at the time and I was shocked that he would do that. Shocked that a great rock star had humbled himself to God before a stadium of fans and worldwide TV audience. Obviously, I have not forgotten it.

So, taking him at face value, I would say he believed in God.

But whether he did or not, and whether he was anything other than heterosexual or not, I don’t know. I am a music fan and he was a musician. His contributions and influence on other artists and their music are unquestionable.

I remember once he was interviewed by Dinah Shore. She tried to corner him and said, "You must admit, rock and roll has been very good to you." He replied, "Yes, and I have been very good to rock and roll." Touche.

Today, listening to "Changes," filtered through my Christian ears, has brought a few tears to my eyes.

"Turn and face the strange, Ch-ch-changes. Pretty soon now you're gonna get older. Time may change me but I can't trace time."