Following the death of Presley Gerber, writer Hope Bonarcher reflects on a young man who seemingly had everything the world could offer. Drawing parallels with the biblical story of Solomon, she asks where true meaning, wholeness and hope can ultimately be found.
If 27-year-old Presley Gerber’s life taught us anything, it’s that all the riches, privilege, opportunity and fame in the world is not enough to satisfy a broken soul. He had the life many dream of, especially those who grew up in the ‘Supermodel Era’ where his mother, Cindy Crawford’s, image reigned supreme. She was quite literally the face of the 90s, gracing everything from magazine covers to Pepsi adverts, George Michael videos, to the show that gave hungry teen girls like me access to fashion, House of Style on MTV.
If there’s one thing synonymous with the MTV generation, it’s the party lifestyle it celebrated. In 1998 Cindy C married Rande Gerber, nightclub business tycoon. Gerber capitalized on the high life, marketing upscale restaurants, bars and lounges in swanky hotels. He’d later go on to launch, then sell a tequila brand alongside business partners like George Clooney, for a rumoured billion dollars; branding himself, his uber beautiful wife and their gorgeous progeny, Presley and his younger sister, Kaia, the poster family for perfected success.
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There’s a biblical son who descended from a family of similarly epic proportions.
There’s a biblical son who descended from a family of similarly epic proportions. His mother’s beauty stopped royalty in its tracks, compelling an upright man to forgo his honour and reputation. His father, a literal king; noble, brave, talented, was chosen for greatness by God Himself.
Young Solomon came into the world with it resting opportunistically on his shoulders. God made him the wisest, wealthiest, most successful king for his whole life. His future wife described Solomon in Song of Songs as having “handsomeness pleasing beyond words” (1:16). By most standards, not unlike Presley Gerber, Solomon had it all, yet this is what he had to say of life from his vantage point:
“Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NLT
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Through Presley Gerber’s short existence on earth, one thing is apparent: even a life of unlimited professional achievement can elude satisfaction. Gerber signed a contract with IMG, the number one modeling agency in the world, at the tender age of 15. Within weeks, he describes in later interviews, he was booking big brand jobs around the globe. Models can hustle and pound pavement for years to achieve the bookings that came easy to the chiseled, young offspring of trailblazing parents. Professional victory was bestowed, if not actually achieved. When the world sits before a young soul on a platter, he can run with it. Or, the trappings of success having been attracted to him since birth like a magnet, he could shrug it off, knowing full well its inability to quench life’s thirst first hand, turning inward to find meaning and purpose.
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Both Presley and his sister Kaia have been vocal about their use of psychedelics, and Presley, ketamine, as mental health treatment.
Looking in from the outside as the findings from Presley Gerber’s death develop, we know the Gerbers considered themselves spiritual people. Both Presley and his sister Kaia have been vocal about their use of psychedelics, and Presley, ketamine, as mental health treatment. It’s as if when the outer accoutrements of life fail to satisfy, the knee jerk response is to look inward.
Recently, Presley posted his ibogaine treatment to social media; in response, his sister and family commented, “walking through the fire to find yourself,” and “so proud.” As explained by a representative of the nonprofit organization Americans for Ibogaine, it’s a controversial treatment undergone in limited countries. They tout it as the most powerful psychedelic substance on earth, able to reset the brain, treat everything from the toughest addictions, withdrawal symptoms, mental health issues and even PTSD for servicemen and women. There are serious risks and it’s warned that ibogaine treatment requires close monitoring.
As the popular saying goes, we are all spiritual beings, but did Presley Gerber’s quest for something deeper than worldly riches truly lead to the freedom, security and wholeness he was seeking? Purpose and meaning do come spiritually, but through God’s Holy Spirit, not our own. There is hope fulfilled in taking the fractured, failing parts of our broken lives and laying them down to be made whole by the finished work of Jesus at the cross. All the riches and beauty in the world cannot promise us tomorrow, but we can place our faith in God who securely holds each of our days.
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