Yesterday, Robin Williams passed away in an apparent suicide. As a well known actor, comedian, and Episcopalian, he touched many lives and his death is a stark reminder of the difficulties that those living with mental illness struggle with. We pray that God will grant him eternal rest and let light perpetual shine upon him. In this moment, though, it is apporpriate to remind everyone of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline accessible at 800.273.TALK anytime day or night. The article below reminds us of some important points about depression and mental illness. This is what makes Williams’s death by suicide at 63 such a shock: He brought magic into so many people’s lives; he seemed to believe and communicate so many things that were good about the world. It’s days like today when I wish for nothing more than a time machine; our proximity in time to when Williams was alive seems so close that it’s unfair that we can’t go back in time to tell him that he will be okay, that depression doesn’t last forever even when it seems to, that there are realities outside of his own mind’s darknesses. But it never is that easy. It is also one of the most important things we as religious people need to understand, that depression is a real illness–not a battle to be won or lost, nor a mental condition to be overcome. It is just as real a disease as any, and God cares for and loves and is with all those who struggle with it, even now.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:04:06 +0000
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