Tears in Heaven

My favorite guitarist of all time is Eric Clapton. I can't remember when I started listening to his music, but I know that once I discovered him I've never turned back. Lately I've been reading his recent autobiography. As expected, it is his own retelling of a life centered around sex, drugs, and rock n' roll.

Clapton's story is a sad one. Not only did he battle (and I'm sure still struggles with) addictions of various kinds, but his home life was a mess as well. I can hardly imagine his grief after the death of his little boy. The good news is that he has in more recent years been able to maintain sobriety as well as a pretty steady family life. But I still say that Clapton's story is a sad one.

I don't presume to know what goes on in his heart. In the book he reveals that he prays daily, something even I have trouble maintaining. Reading between the lines it seems that the "new life" of family, sobriety, and the music is what brings him happiness today. There is no real mention of seeking God and His ways let alone any notion of Jesus Christ as savior. This saddens me deeply. Here is a man that I am in awe of musically speaking, yet I have good reason to believe that he will spend eternity apart from Christ.

In the song that he wrote after his son's death Clapton says, "Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven?" That's a pretty big if, an eternally significant one. It may be a fantasy that one day EC and I will be jamming on Fender guitars in non-stop praise to God in heaven, but I would be willing to trade all that if I knew I could lead him to faith in our savior Jesus Christ. There's still time--Lord, open his eyes, open his heart.