Monday evening, August 11th, 2014, I was shocked to look up at a television screen and see wirtte4n across it: “Robin Williams, 1951-2014”. Like others, I had no idea that I would be so affected by his death.

I realized that I felt like I know him. Perhaps this was because he played so many characters, many of which I had seen in movies and television shows, and also because he was the ever-present celebrity on talk shows and even television commercials. His, was a household name all across America and in many other parts of the world.

Much of Mr. William’s comedy is unholy and raucous. He had few inhibitions about invading “sacred ground” when he though he found humor there. At the same time, I never heard a word from him that gave me the impression he ever meant any harm or had a malicious thought towards anyone.

In fact, Mr. Williams has gone on record expressing himself thoughtfully, humbly, gratefully and without any hint of pretense saying that hope itself, was a great Christian gift and that life is about others rather tan your self and that there is a loving God. He had a gift from God in his ability to make us laugh, and obviously had a mind towards God to at least some degree.

Robin played “The King of the Moon” in the fanciful 1988 movie “The adventures of Baron Munchausen”. This character had the ability to free his head from his body in order to devote himself to higher and nobler pursuits. His body, however, tracked him down, recapturing his head and dragged him back into the baser things of the world. Perhaps this character tragically paralleled Mr. William’s own life.

It parallels our lives as well. Our flesh is of this world and subject to its passions, but our spirit is of God. One will dominate the other according to our choices.

Jesus said, “...in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world”,John 16:33.

It breaks my heart that in spite of almost unlimited fame and fortune in this world, the “King of the Moon” gave in to this world’s troubles.

It often seems like those with wealth, popularity and/or power are different from “the rest of us”. The reality is that we are all the same before God. In the end, the only thing that will matter is our relationship with him.

“Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life”, Jesus, Revelation 2:10.