By Charles Brammall
“Jesus to a Child”, 1996:
“Kindness in your eyes
I guess you heard me cry
You smiled at me like Jesus to a child
I’m blessed I know
Heaven sent and heaven stole
You smiled at me like Jesus to a child
And what have I learned from all this pain
I thought I’d never feel the same about anyone or anything again
But now I know
When you find a love
When you know that it exists…
No one guessed or no one tried
You smiled at me like Jesus to a child
Loveless and cold
With your last breath you saved my soul
You smiled at me like Jesus to a child
And what have I learned from all these tears
I’ve waited for you all those years
Then just when it began he took your love away.
… comfort… when there’s no hope in sight
So the words you could not say
I’ll sing them for you
And the love we would have…
I’ll make it for two
For every single memory
Has become a part of me
You will always be my love
Well I’ve been loved so I know just what love is
And the lover… is always by my side
Oh, the lover I still miss was Jesus to a child.”
These lyrics were devoted to George’s gay lover. Not standard fair for me. And I imagine you, if you love the Lord.
And yet, as I write this, I’m luxuriously diving deep through George’s back catalogue. I’ve died and gone to heaven. I hope (but not pray) he has too. But as Missionary Chaplain to Music, Film and Theatre, I prayed thus for him for decades. I find him a remarkable vocalist, composer, arranger, and rather humble and undefensive in his predilection to covering lots of others’ hits. As evidenced by Elty’s willingness to join him in a duet live.
He was by FAR the best performer covering a Queen number at the Freddy Mercury tribute concert at Wembley Stadium (he and Fred were dear friends). They left Bowie and Lennox in the shade.
His songs are surprisingly gentle, sweet and warm. This old Conservative, creative Evangelical has a man crush😉. I believe many of George’s own compositions come from significant personal sadness. My heart beats warmly for him. I prayed desperately that he would be with the LORD. We’ll see.
I even find his dance and disco numbers compelling, and that’s saying a lot, as a 60-year-old boomer.
Also there’s deep nuance in the way in George approached Christian and Scripture’s themes in his lyrics, especially following personal loss. And these Jesus tropes and doctrines are rooted in Georges own visceral experience.
Michael penned “Jesus to a Child” as an achingly beautiful tribute to his late partner, Anselmo Feleppa- it is not Christianly or Gospelly inspired per se. Its title nonetheless evokes Christian imagery. And reality. But the tune is more about profound love and grief than doctrinal belief.
The ex Wham-er described his concept of faith as personal and symbolic— not tied to structured religion. He famously offered: “I do not have religion, but I believe that one can influence one’s life, one’s future, through faith and decency towards others.”
Faith in whom?
George also said, “When I was a child I was an atheist; when I was a teenager I was an agnostic; now I know there’s got to be a Force far greater than we can imagine to believe in.”
The brilliant muso became “spiritual” and arrived at utterly disarming turning points after deep loss in his world, poor old chap. He said his spirituality was deeply shaken by the loss of Anselmo, though his devoutly God-fearing Mum Leslie remained steadfast.
Michael reflected that painful experiences gave his music the ability to heal others – and perhaps himself. He believed he was “destined” to endure that awful hardship in order create something meaningful.
So while there’s no documented link between Jesus’ death and a shift in George’s trust in Jesus, his “spiritual growth” seems rooted in personal tragedy. And he was never syncretistic, to his credit. He remained firmly within Christianised circles. But he explored reliance on God as a force of healing, hope, and expression.
His faith wasn’t “religious” (neither is mine, or Jesus’s) but a heartfelt, existential concept born from loss and art. I cajole you to plunge deeper into George’s other multitudinous lyrics, interviews, and how God-fearing influenced his creative journey.
Prayers:
Our Gracious God and Loving Heavenly Father,
You kindly reveal to our darkened hearts, minds, ears and hearts that John, & all Your other NT authors writers, are adamant that the love of Christ is expressed in action, and not simply in words.
Please help our musician brothers and sisters to do this, thus attracting in Your chosen ones.
For the glory of Jesus’ creative name,
Amen.
Dear Heavenly Creator,
You graciously tell us that we believers have the joy of being active in our love for one another, and in seeking out the needs of others. Please help those Christians George knew and loved to have done this when he was still alive.
For Jesus’ name’s uplifting,
Amen.
O mighty, wise and loving Father of all chosen ones,
You lovingly tell us there is nothing dormant about the love of Christ, and nor can it be so with us. Please help we whom You have filled with the love of Messiah, who truly know He gave himself for us in our great need- not to be halted from doing works that speak of that love.
Thank You for this astonishing miracle,
Amen
Image: George Michael in Germany 2006: Image credit: Insasse / Wikimedia