“Hey, did you hear about that guy – ‘Angus Cloud’ who died?” I remember feeling instantly confused when my friend asked me this over the phone.
Angus Cloud ? No no no it can’t be who I think it is..Does she mean Mac Miller?
“..what?” I asked her..secretly hoping I misheard.
“Yeah, I think he was on that show called Euphoria..
“WHAT?!! NOOOO!!”
I instantly pulled up my phone and typed his name into Google..
It was all over the Internet…
Angus Cloud…..Dead at 25….Possible Overdose
The wave of grief hit me instantly. He was so young. This was so unexpected. He was so funny. Did He know God?
“Wow, I didn’t realize you would feel this sad.” My friend responded
I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the front of my car seat.
I let the emotions pour in waves – shock, sadness, grief.
And while so..I couldn’t help but feel a familiar sense of dejavu.
These feelings. I have been here before.
Just then, their Images came into my head – Kobe & Gianna Bryant, Cameron Boyce, Chadwick Boseman.
While the cause of each death was so different, each one taught me important things about life, death, & morality.
(Although it’s normal), It can still feel weird when we admit to others or even ourselves when we are grieving a celebrity’s death.
“But you didn’t even know them personally,” people may respond.
That’s true. Nevertheless, because we may have enjoyed a show they were in, connected with their characters in movies, or identified with their music, we can still feel the impact that they are no longer here.
It’s in these moments that I’ve learned that if we’re open & honest with ourselves about why we feel the way we feel, each death (in this case i’m referring to celebrities’ but it can be of anyone in your life whose passed) can be a reminder about what it really means to live,and to show us if we’re really living the life we’re meant to live.
As I’ve allowed myself a moment to grieve Angus and reflect on the other lessons I’ve learned from other celebrity passings, I would like to share with you the top 3 things I’ve learned about life, death, and the real purpose of living.
Lesson 1)We are not in control – God is.
“13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow [d]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast about your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-17 NKJV)
I remember the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, hitting me hard. My own reaction was a bit of a shock to me. I was still in college at the time and I’ll never forget laying on my bed, staring up at my dorm room ceiling, and questioning my own grief. Why am I taking this so hard? I had thought at the time. I wasn’t even that big of a basketball fan.
As it was during the earlier parts of 2020, the reality of death was already becoming a heavy theme of the year. Many people were already beginning to die because of the pandemic. However, Kobe and his daughter’s death wasn’t caused by natural events. It felt random. unexpected. inconvenient. unplanned.
That’s when it hit me – why I was taking their death so hard – because it reminded me of the truth: Death is NOT under our control. We don’t get to decide when it pops up on our schedules.
When we plan our futures and envision where we would like to see ourselves when we’re 20, 30, 50, & 80, we like to assume that’s how far we will make it. But that’s all it is. An assumption.
However, the bible reminds us of what’s really true:
- “Many are the plans in a man’s heart but the Lord’s purpose shall prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21)
- ‘For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4;14-17)
- “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die…” (Ecc 3:1-2)
We are all going to die. No one can avoid it. It’s a truth we all must embrace.And as we come to truly embrace and accept this reality, that means we must be mindful of how we show up in the world & choose to live.
Lesson 2)Life is to be Lived for the Lord
“16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:16-17 NKJV”
The death of Angus Cloud served with me a different reminder altogether: You can’t take it with you.
It’s so easy to believe, especially when you compare your life to celebrities, that life is all about what you can obtain or own.
Admittedly, a big reason why it was so hard to believe that Angus had died is because not even a week before his passing, I had been scrolling on his twitter (His tweets were funny – yall) and Instagram. Cool-posed and all.
Later, as I received more context of the events that had happened surrounding the time of his passing, It reminded me of how the posts we share online can be completely juxtaposed to what’s really going on in our actual lives.
When I scrolled past the images of the dripped out clothes and brand sponsored posts, I didn’t see a young man who had been grieving his father’s death. I saw a young man who based on the standards of what the world (at least the Americanized one) says is the key to happiness had everything he could have wanted.
However, now seeing that he’s no longer here, I have now been made more firmly convinced & assured of that at the end of the day… All that matters is what we do for the Lord(Phil 1:21).
The bible tells us:
- Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” “Luke 12:15”
- What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Mark 8:36-37
- “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21 NIV
- 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
Since that’s the case we must always be in constant check of the state of our soul.(ps 139:23-24) As my Pastor has been doing a series on “A Portrait on Eternity” and what it will look like after we die,one of the biggest lessons I’ve taken away is that our soul wealth is way more important than our earthly wealth. (Mark 8:36-37, Luke 12:19-21)
What does that mean?
It is the state of our souls (whether it’s made alive through reconnection with God (2 Cor 5:16-18) or separated from God due to a decision not to follow Him) that will determine whether we lift up our eyes up to Hell or be with Him forever in eternity.
Ask yourselves, my brothers and sisters in Christ, “Where is the state of my soul?”
The reality of that answer can be scary to face. But the Lord is patient with us. (2 Peter 3:9 NIV) If you’re still alive, you still have time to confess (1 John 1:9) ,change your mind, & return back to Him (repentance). However, we don’t know how much time we have. (James 4:13-30) Therefore, If you feel the Lord tugging on your heart don’t wait.*(Is 55:6)
~ A helpful resource
It can be a scary task to sometimes face what’s in our hearts, if you want some additional assistance, check out this website here that provides a helpful guide if you are seeking rededication or salvation for the first time.
~
Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Christ,let us not get caught up in the hype.
Is it okay to want nice things? Absolutely.
Does God desire for us to prosper in good health as our soul prospers (3 John 2)? Of course.
But is that the sole purpose and ultimate reason for our existence? H*ll NO.
The story of the rich young ruler and Lazarus serve as a good reminder for us: we can strive to go after everything you could possibly have in this life, but it’s only those who knew and served the Lord that shall be saved(John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10)*
Lesson 3)It’s okay to grieve (but with hope)
Lastly, when it comes to death, you may already know logically what the bible says..
However, it’s still okay to feel sad that the actor you grew up watching, or the singer whose songs uplifted you, you’ll no longer be able to see anymore.
It’s okay to grieve.
Our emotions are NOT evil. God gave them to us. He said himself:
- “There’s a time for everything under the sun, …a time to weep and a time to laugh” Eccle 3:4 4
- Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalms 30:5
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4
If Jesus wept (John 11:35) ,how much more permission do we need to shed our tears?
God makes space for your emotions. So allow yourself to FEEL.
But as you feel, Grieve with Hope.
1 Cor 15:55-57 “O[a] Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ has defeated death on the cross. (John 19:28-30)
That’s why we take encouragement in scriptures such as “John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’ and Ps 49:15 “But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.”
As believers in Christ, we know that if our loved ones or friends who knew God died, we do not grieve because we will never see them again but because we will miss their presence here on Earth. And more so we know that when it’s our time to go, our spirits will remain down in the grave. (Ps 49:15)
Now, we can’t assume to know the status of the relationship celebrities might have had or had not with God. But as believers who know the truth about life and death, we can choose to be the one to continue to pray for those who are still alive to meet Jesus (Romans 1:16, Matthew 28:18-19, Acts 1:8) and to speak the truth of the hope we have about death that comes from a relationship with the Lord(John 10:10).
Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Christ, our reactions to celebrity deaths can certainly be an interesting thing. However, it can Also be just the reality check we need to check our hearts, consider our ways, and ask ourselves – are we really living how we’re meant to live? If not, that realization can be the catalyst we push towards the place of necessary change.
