Robin Williams (1951-2014)

[bookslover]

I suppose most of us have heard by now that Williams committed suicide this morning, at the age of 63. What the depressive Winston Churchill called his "black dog" finally overwhelmed Williams. As far as I know, Williams was not a Christian. I can hope, though - I read once years ago that he had an interest in reading about religion. I hope he found the Lord Jesus Christ.

He died less than a year-and-a-half after his mentor, Jonathan Winters, died last year. Like Winters before him, Williams had one of the quickest and sharpest comedy minds ever. And he was a pretty good actor, too.

Someone pointed out that, at one time, Williams made a public service announcement urging people away from suicide. Unfortunately, he found himself in a place where he felt he couldn't take that advice.

This sin nature can be a vicious thing...

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

I will miss him. I always saw him as a tortured individual so when I learned the news today I was actually not surprised. I, too, pray that it was the will of God that he was one of God's chosen. His role in Good Morning Vietnam resonated with me taking me back to my time there.

 

[Free Christian]

Yeah, I was surprised and saddened to hear he was gone. Shows that you can be able to have everything you want in the world material wise and yet still feel so hopeless and lost as to loose yourself in that way.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I heard about this on the radio a couple of hours ago; it is very tragic. I was listening to Talk Sport, and the presenter, Alan Brazil, said "Good morning" only to then say, "That reminds me of 'Good Morning Vietnam'; poor Robin Williams - it's awful".

 

[Miss Marple]

He attended City Church (then a PCA) in San Francisco for a while. So I presume he at least heard the gospel; and where the gospel is, there is hope.

Not much is being said about drugs. This has been my observation about recreational drugs: they kill you eventually unless you stop using them quickly. He had a rumored, but notorious, coke habit. I hope this does not fall into the realm of gossip, as it was reported widely on the news that he had recently re-entered rehab.

Drugs from my vantage point work like this: Usually, they make you feel really good. After a while, they don't make you feel quite so good. Pretty soon, you feel bad unless you take them. Then, you feel bad all the time, but if you don't take them, you feel worse. So you are in a state of constant and real misery. You are an addict. Now you are supposed to kick the habit. Often you have actual brain damage. It becomes almost impossible. You feel really, really horrible.

Those who say drugs are a victimless crime frustrate me. I think his depression was drug related (no proof here, just an opinion). Are there no victims here? He had children for one thing. Other dependents and those who loved him. They are severely harmed. Also there is a trend of copycat suicides with celebrity suicides. I don't see drug abuse as victimless at all.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

While Miss Marple does not report the former coke habit as first-hand intelligence, I've read interviews in which Mr. Williams himself admitted such and spoke at some length about it. It's simply a fact--both that and his alcohol addiction--that he never sought to hide. He widely discussed all of this and being in rehab for it on more than one occasion.

What I find interesting, and did not know, and particularly appreciate Miss Marple reporting, is his attendance at City Church and at a PCA (City used to be PCA and is now RCA, an unusual direction in which to go). He never gave any indication of which I am aware that he was a Christian, but it's good to know that he may have heard the gospel.

This is a tragic thing, as suicide always is. It comes from so much pain and leaves so much pain in its wake. What a dark and miserable world it is without Christ (even for a Christian who loses sight of the Savior). Thank God for Him who is the light of the world, leading us away from the blackness of our sin and misery into the light of His love, forgiveness, and sanctification. How much we all need Him. We are no different in the flesh than Mr. Williams and may God graciously draw all of us, and those dear to us, to Himself.

Peace,
Alan

 

[tyndale]

Usually Hollywood celebrity deaths don't get my attention like this, but this one is particularly hard because of what I've heard about him, and that I watched so many of his movies.

I know he's been seen at Redeemer Pres, when he was in NYC, so yeah he had good exposure to the PCA/Reformed theology.

Sadly that City Church/SF made a REALLY bad move going to the RCA (I think it was partly because they wanted to have female pastors), and I'm wondering if they will leave it... following DeYoung's church as it's getting intolerable there.

 

[SRoper]

(City used to be PCA and is now RCA, an unusual direction in which to go).

There's a former PCA church in your neck of the woods that made the same move for the same reason--the desire to ordain women.