“Pilgrim Reflections” - “Don’t Give Up On God”

A few weeks ago actor and comedian Billy Crystal said, in an interview which aired on  “CBS Sunday Morning” on October 11, that he was giving up on God after a series of personal tragedies.  Crystal, who is Jewish, said he no longer talks to God because of all the painful things that have occurred in his life in recent years.

One of these included the loss of his home of 40 years in a 2025 wildfire and the murder of his close friend, Rob Reiner and his wife, by their son.  Reiner had directed Crystal in the romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” and they became close friends afterwards.

During the interview, Crystal said “I don’t trust Him.  Too many bad things have happened.  The Earth is in bad shape.  This is a weird, scary time.  So, no, I’m not going to trust Him anymore.”

Back in 2004 the actor-comedian made faith the center of his one-man show, entitled “700 Sundays.”  The show focused on the 700 Sundays he spent with his father before his death and his conversations with God.

However, the losing of their home in January, ’25—followed by the murders of Reiner and his wife—definitely, deeply impacted him in a negative way.  In fact, these tragedies are the subject of his one-man show, “860,” which premiered on Broadway last week.

Interestingly, Crystal said “You have to have reasons to laugh.  You got to, you got to. . . it’s a healer.  It always has been that way.  You know, we say when life gets tough, all you can do is laugh.”

While’s it admirable that Crystal—who’s starred in other shows like “Soap,” “City Slickers,” “Saturday Night Live” and “The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour”—will soon discover that laughter or making jokes won’t ease the pain and deep grief within.  Neither will it fill what someone called “The God-shaped Hole” in our hearts we’re born with.

Yes, after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, everything changed here on earth.  Their sin opened the proverbial “Pandora’s Box of sin, suffering, decay, deformity, destruction, death” and ushered in “wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, hurricanes/typhoons/tornadoes, etc.”

Sadly, ever since that time, it’s been our nature as humans to want to blame God when, as a Jewish rabbi said in his entitled book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People.  But, his book failed to take into account that “there’s none righteous, no not one” and “All of our good works are as filthy rags” in the Sight of a Holy, Perfect, Just God” (Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-4; Romans 3:10).

Here’s hoping that Billy Crystal will rethink his decision to give up on God: for, in reality, He’s the only One Who can help us when our world is turned upside down.  Likewise, I pray he’ll come to realize that Jesus was truly the long-awaited “anointed-and-appointed, Promised Deliverer sent from God,” which we call the Messiah or Christ.

Yes, He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy by becoming “the Man of Sorrows Who’s well-acquainted with our grief;” in fact, He’s the One Who “bears our griefs and carries our sorrows” (Is. 53:3-4).

That’s one of the fringe-benefits of His becoming “one of us so we could become one of His.”  He knowingly and willingly became a human just like us. . .who was “tempted and tried in every way we are, yet without sin”. . .so He could become “a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God”. . .Who is “able to comfort us in our times of trials and temptations” (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15).

Yes, here’s hoping Billy Crystal—and anyone who’s reading this column—will not turn your back on God when your world comes crashing in.  Instead, look to Him in simple, childlike Faith even as a “seasick sailor does in a storm when he’s reeling to-and-fro, staggering like a drunk man and is at his wit’s end” (Psalm 107:27).

He truly knows what you’re going through right now because He is truly a “tear-catching, sparrow-watching, hair-counting God” Who thinks you’re to die for (Ps. 56:8;139:17-18; Matthew 6:26; 10:29-31; John 3:16).

So, again, don’t give up; look up instead: and hopefully you’ll see in God’s Eyes what Noah did that day:  Grace, Grace, marvelous Grace (Genesis 6:8).

          (NOTE:  If you’d like to contact Bro. Tom or receive his daily devotional, entitled “Morning Manna,” you can e-mail him at pressingon@hotmail.com).