Robin For me, and for the moment, the world has seemed a little less bright. The news of Robin William’s death took me by surprise. When someone like Williams dies it’s a little like losing a dear friend you never knew. It’s a strange feeling. I can’t imagine that there are many who would deny that he was a comedic genius. Some of his standup was too bawdy for my taste, but one only has to listen to the genie in Aladdin to find one’s self dazed and wondering, is anyone really that good!? Laughter is such good medicine. It renews our soul and improves our spiritual and physical health. Funny people are such a gift in a world that, at times, contains more darkness than we would like. Humor is like an oasis, it can’t change the environment that surrounds it and us, but it can change the environment within. And, remarkably, that can be enough. Humor can shake awake that remarkable human resilience that God has wired within us. Williams struggled in ways, hopefully, we will not experience. We will never know the lengths of his torment and how overwhelming it must have been. It is my conviction, though, that he lived much longer because of his gift of laughter and joy, his humor his life had light as well as dark. He fought the good fight. Throughout the week when I found myself thinking of Williams the words from this Aztec prayer would come to mind: ‘Oh, only for so short a while you have loaned us to each other, because we take form in your act of drawing us. And we take life in your painting us, And we breathe in your singing us. But only for so short a while have you loaned us to each other.’ ” I leave you with the words from the master, himself, an Episcopalian by the way, Williams’ ten reasons to be an Episcopalian, because humor and joy should always have the last word. 10. No snake handling. 9. You can believe in dinosaurs. 8. Male and female God created them; male and female we ordain them. 7. You dont have to check your brains at the door. 6. Pew aerobics. 5. Church year is color-coded. 4. Free wine on Sunday. 3. All of the pageantry - none of the guilt. 2. You dont have to know how to swim to get baptized. And the Number One reason to be an Episcopalian: No matter what you believe, theres bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you. Rest in peace, Robin, as you said to your friend, Christopher Reeves, we say to you: “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, sweet prince.”
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 02:47:57 +0000