SHUT UP!!! JUST SHUT UP!!! I AM TIRED OF HEARING IT!!!!
This was my inner monologue as I perused social media last night. As I read article after article about the recent death of Robin Williams, my agitation was at a pretty high level. The reason for agitation was the dialogue that I was witnessing across the Twitterverse, FaceNation, and the interwebs. It went something like this (these are paraphrases, of course):
So sad to hear of the passing of Robin Williams.
I hope shines light upon the need to care for those who suffer from depression.
So sad that we lost one of the great actors.
Why are we focusing so much on this one man? People die everyday without the fanfare.
As a Christian, I appreciate the talent of Robin Williams, and I pray that He looked to Jesus in His final moments.
We lose our minds over the loss of a comedian, and we are silent while many Christians are killed for their faith in Iraq. #MessedUpPriorities
As Christians, why should we care so much about a man who killed himself and showed no evidence of faith in his life?
How dare all of you self-righteous haters cast derision at such a beautiful soul?
And it went on. And on. And on. And on. And on. I was dangerously close to having my head explode right there on the couch. That would be a horrible mess for my wife to clean up, so I had pity on her. I put down my phone. I did dishes. I went for a walk. I pondered.
I found myself conflicted. Did I mourn the loss of Robin Williams? I really did. As an avid observer of pop-culture, many of his movies were very close to my heart as I grew up, came of age, and continued into adulthood. I owe part of my love of literature and writing to Dead Poet’s Society. I owe part of my compassion for the lost to Good Will Hunting. And even though it was an extreme aberration of theology, I owe part of my imagining of heaven to the cinematic masterpiece, What Dreams May Come. This says nothing of Good Morning Vietnam, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Fisher King, or Hook. So… did I mourn the loss of Robin Williams? Do I still have the picture of Aladdin hugging Genie as my Facebook cover photo? Do I hope against hope that he had some faith at his death so I can have the hope of seeing him again one day? Yes. Yes. And yes.
However, was his death tragic? Yes. Was it abominable? Yes. Is suicide sinful? Yes. Does it damn him to hell for eternity? No. Does it bring up the topic of suicide, depression and mental illness? Yes. Do we need to have those discussions, and do we need to be careful how we portray suicide in a culture that is fascinated with freedom through death? Yes. And OF COURSE, we need to be concerned about the Christians being martyred in Iraq and other places. However, it is still ok to mourn the loss of a person who had such an impact on pop-culture… EVEN and ESPECIALLY if there was not faith present. He becomes one for whom we should truly mourn.
So, if you feel yourself conflicted, as I did.
Mourn the loss of Robin Williams. Thank the Lord for the talent and joy that he brought to people while he was alive. These are good things. Say a prayer for his family and friends that they might find hope in Christ amidst their loss.
Continue to pray for those who are persecuted in the world. Continue to pray for those who are struggling with addiction and depression.
Continue to pray that God’s will would be done in the world and that all people would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
May God grant you the peace that transcends all human understanding… the peace that causes you to turn off your phones, shut your computers, and silence the cacophony of voices that surround us.
A Stranger in a Strange Land 