- Oct 28, 2006
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As some of you who are slightly older may remember, there lived for a relatively short time a relatively minor comedian by the name of Sam Kinison. Surprisingly, or perhaps not too surprisingly in this day and age, Sam gained notoriety for having been a former Pentecostal preacher turned apostate from the Christian faith. He was known not only for his vociferous denunciation of his former faith but he expressed it with expletives amplified by a most bombastic scream as a trademark.
Why do I bring this up? Well, for several reasons, one of which is that today is April 10th, 2019, an anniversary of Sam Kinison's tragic death. Another reason is that he is etched aesthetically upon my own mind, even if just as an occasional, minor afterthought which reminds me about our mortality and the possibility of that there is a God in Heaven who looks down upon us each day and, who although seemingly Hidden, sometimes may make certain arrangements for us in our lives.
A third reason is that just a few months before Sam Kinison had his fatal car wreck back in 1992, I saw him up close in a record shop at the local mall. Of course, I wouldn't say that there was anything overly impressive about him: he was fairly short in stature, balding but with wispy, stringy like hair. I might not have recognized him if I had just been walking by him, being that he was wearing dark sunglasses along with something like a leather breton hat, a cut-off sleeveless shirt and some worn jeans.
As I remember, I was looking through the cd's in the music store, and I heard his voice speaking out in friendly rapport with the music store clerk, the clerk getting a picture with Sam and then getting an autograph. I just sat there frozen in wonder. Not awe, mind you, just wonder. I asked myself, “Was this the same guy I'd seen on t.v. whose scream set him apart from other comedians, even if not fully for the purpose of my laughter? Was this the same screaming comedian whose sense of offensive humor caught the approval of my best friend and roommate at the time and whose own struggles with the Christian faith reflected those of Sam Kinison (remember, we're talking 1992 here) ? Why, yes, it seemed to be “that same guy”!
Sam Kinison's Biography
https://www.biography.com/people/sam-kinison-424006
Then, as a number of people learned on April 10, 1992, Sam Kinison was killed in a car wreck, perhaps one due to his own fault as a person who pushed the limits of propriety. Others in the car were injured by his misjudgments while driving. Whatever the case was, I've often wondered what was going on in Sam Kinison's mind those last 10 seconds before impact. Was he daring God? Was he betting a roulette wheel that if God existed, God would make this catastrophic instance “work out”? Or, as I really, really hope it was, he was thinking, “My Lord and My God! I'm sorry! I screwed up! Forgive me?!"
And lastly, reason number Four. Just a few years ago I found myself in an on-line skirmish of wits with a somewhat formidable Ex-Christian, a leading voice. I won't name a name or cite his forum moniker here, but I will say that on April 10th of that year (just a few years ago), I essentially challenged him and some of his fellow onlookers with what I've shared above about Sam Kinison. Frankly, I did so as a kind of “apologetic warning.” I did so because I felt that this leading voice was someone who was especially influential in dragging others away from the Christian faith. Very sadly to say, I found out that just a few years afterward, that specific leading voice with whom I had had a small battle of wits was apparently killed in a fashion not dissimilar to that of Sam Kinison. To the extent that there may have been some exacting parallels in the lives of that ex-christian voice and Sam Kinison, I'll leave that to our the imaginations.
What I want to do at this moment, however, is present what I consider to be an 'ode' of sorts to Sam Kinison. I'd like to imagine what he instead would have been like if, perhaps, Sam had come back to the faith and been a Christian rock star rather rather than an anti-christian mouth for the world of comedy. I found a song I think is fitting. The title of the song is: COLLIDE, and it is sung by a former Christian rock star of the band, Whitecross, [Scott Wenzel] whose voice seems somewhat reminiscent of Sam Kinison's. So, in addition to some of what we know of Sam's last words, here's what I hope was running through Sam's mind (and heart) during those last few seconds before He came face to face with his Creator. And Sam, I do very much hope you're resting in peace:
Lyrics for "Collide," by Whitecross [...a favorite song of mine!]
Songwriters: Joshua David Silverberg / Chris Mcleod
Collide lyrics © Meaux Hits, Red Red Soda Pop
Why do I bring this up? Well, for several reasons, one of which is that today is April 10th, 2019, an anniversary of Sam Kinison's tragic death. Another reason is that he is etched aesthetically upon my own mind, even if just as an occasional, minor afterthought which reminds me about our mortality and the possibility of that there is a God in Heaven who looks down upon us each day and, who although seemingly Hidden, sometimes may make certain arrangements for us in our lives.
A third reason is that just a few months before Sam Kinison had his fatal car wreck back in 1992, I saw him up close in a record shop at the local mall. Of course, I wouldn't say that there was anything overly impressive about him: he was fairly short in stature, balding but with wispy, stringy like hair. I might not have recognized him if I had just been walking by him, being that he was wearing dark sunglasses along with something like a leather breton hat, a cut-off sleeveless shirt and some worn jeans.
As I remember, I was looking through the cd's in the music store, and I heard his voice speaking out in friendly rapport with the music store clerk, the clerk getting a picture with Sam and then getting an autograph. I just sat there frozen in wonder. Not awe, mind you, just wonder. I asked myself, “Was this the same guy I'd seen on t.v. whose scream set him apart from other comedians, even if not fully for the purpose of my laughter? Was this the same screaming comedian whose sense of offensive humor caught the approval of my best friend and roommate at the time and whose own struggles with the Christian faith reflected those of Sam Kinison (remember, we're talking 1992 here) ? Why, yes, it seemed to be “that same guy”!
Sam Kinison's Biography
https://www.biography.com/people/sam-kinison-424006
Then, as a number of people learned on April 10, 1992, Sam Kinison was killed in a car wreck, perhaps one due to his own fault as a person who pushed the limits of propriety. Others in the car were injured by his misjudgments while driving. Whatever the case was, I've often wondered what was going on in Sam Kinison's mind those last 10 seconds before impact. Was he daring God? Was he betting a roulette wheel that if God existed, God would make this catastrophic instance “work out”? Or, as I really, really hope it was, he was thinking, “My Lord and My God! I'm sorry! I screwed up! Forgive me?!"
And lastly, reason number Four. Just a few years ago I found myself in an on-line skirmish of wits with a somewhat formidable Ex-Christian, a leading voice. I won't name a name or cite his forum moniker here, but I will say that on April 10th of that year (just a few years ago), I essentially challenged him and some of his fellow onlookers with what I've shared above about Sam Kinison. Frankly, I did so as a kind of “apologetic warning.” I did so because I felt that this leading voice was someone who was especially influential in dragging others away from the Christian faith. Very sadly to say, I found out that just a few years afterward, that specific leading voice with whom I had had a small battle of wits was apparently killed in a fashion not dissimilar to that of Sam Kinison. To the extent that there may have been some exacting parallels in the lives of that ex-christian voice and Sam Kinison, I'll leave that to our the imaginations.
What I want to do at this moment, however, is present what I consider to be an 'ode' of sorts to Sam Kinison. I'd like to imagine what he instead would have been like if, perhaps, Sam had come back to the faith and been a Christian rock star rather rather than an anti-christian mouth for the world of comedy. I found a song I think is fitting. The title of the song is: COLLIDE, and it is sung by a former Christian rock star of the band, Whitecross, [Scott Wenzel] whose voice seems somewhat reminiscent of Sam Kinison's. So, in addition to some of what we know of Sam's last words, here's what I hope was running through Sam's mind (and heart) during those last few seconds before He came face to face with his Creator. And Sam, I do very much hope you're resting in peace:
Lyrics for "Collide," by Whitecross [...a favorite song of mine!]
Imagination plays with truth and lies
Deliberation, only good when love's alive
Only good, when love's alive
Oh how he waits, oh how he waits
Yes tonight he waits for you
Do you know he waits don't you walk away
He gave his life for you
If I start to daydream, it's because I'm all right
I'm only waiting for God to make it right
I have no talent, no gift to offer you
Oh, oh, oh, empty room
Empty rooms!
Oh how he waits, oh how he waits
Yes tonight he waits for you
Do you know he waits don't you walk away
He gave his life for you
Oh how he waits, don't you know he waits
Yes he took the pain for you
Do you know he waits, don't you walk away
He gave his life for you
When it seems that all is lost
You are close now count the cost
When your life and his collide
You will know there's hope inside
Deliberation, only good when love's alive
Only good, when love's alive
Oh how he waits, oh how he waits
Yes tonight he waits for you
Do you know he waits don't you walk away
He gave his life for you
If I start to daydream, it's because I'm all right
I'm only waiting for God to make it right
I have no talent, no gift to offer you
Oh, oh, oh, empty room
Empty rooms!
Oh how he waits, oh how he waits
Yes tonight he waits for you
Do you know he waits don't you walk away
He gave his life for you
Oh how he waits, don't you know he waits
Yes he took the pain for you
Do you know he waits, don't you walk away
He gave his life for you
When it seems that all is lost
You are close now count the cost
When your life and his collide
You will know there's hope inside
Songwriters: Joshua David Silverberg / Chris Mcleod
Collide lyrics © Meaux Hits, Red Red Soda Pop
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[How interesting, now that I think about it. That was the same year I became acquainted with Christianity.]
