Trusting Jesus with Alice Cooper

Cara Howard sent me this video from The Today Show – an interview with Alice Cooper about his strong faith in God.  For anyone my age, connecting Alice Cooper with Christianity would have been unthinkable 40 years ago.  He typified heavy metal in the 70’s and 80’s and is considered the Godfather of Shock Rock.  Even his appearance scared me and I would have been horrified at his shows.

But time and hard things often bring people to Jesus.  Alice Cooper had all the money he would ever need by the 80’s, but he was an alcoholic and his wife left him.   She was a Christian, however, so when he told her he had given up substance abuse, she chose to give him another chance because she believes marriage is for life.  In the video, she states that she decided to trust him.  I admire her for choosing this.  To give someone a second chance, you do have to choose to trust that person.  There’s no guarantee you won’t get hurt again.  

And Alice Cooper chose to trust God.   He had grown up in a Christian family, but left it all.  He had to choose to trust God again.  That can be hard choice.  I think it’s easier to look at the world, at pain and death and injustice and difficulty, and conclude there is no God or He doesn’t have power to make it better.  But the cost of that decision is so high.  It leads to hopelessness and cynicism and emptiness.  

Alice Cooper’s decision to believe in God and follow Him again has led to a renewed life, a thriving marriage, and a non-profit staffed by Christians that reaches out to teens who are despondent.  He goes to church every Sunday.  He has also devoted his life to helping other performers defeat alcoholism.  

Cooper still performs and sees the value in heavy metal music.  In the interview, when asked about death metal, Cooper states:  “ I think death metal is people screaming at God.  That’s good.  They want God’s help.”  I see that, too.  Anytime people are crying out to God, it’s a good thing.  I just pray they, like Alice Cooper, can find their way to the answer and to peace.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”  Psalm 91:1-2