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“I brought you into this world and I can take you out!” is possibly one of the most salient lines that has emerged from the pantheon of television. Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable said those words to his son, Theo, during a moment of frustration on The Cosby Show. And ever since then, they have been used, reused, and adopted by parents far and wide. |
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But recently, thinking about that scene has brought sorrow rather than laughter. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the legendary TV show, drowned in late July while swimming at a beach off the coast of Costa Rica. His eight-year-old daughter, who was also caught in a strong current while swimming with her father, was rescued by a surfer. |
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The unexpected death of the 54-year-old actor shook up celebrities and fans. Memorials began to flood the news while social media users reflected on his life on—and off—the screen. |
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I didn’t follow Warner’s career too closely after his follow-up role to Theo as Malcolm McGee in the 90s TV show “Malcolm & Eddie”. But like many others, my heart was grieved when I heard the news, not just of his death but also of the way he died. As Dutch priest Henri Nouwen wrote in his book Here and Now “in the life of the God-centered person, sorrow and joy can exist together.” And I’m joyful for what the beloved actor gave to the world. |
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Warner leaves behind Theo, a character and a prince of TV royalty who grew up in front of our eyes. In the show, the once naïve teenager became a man who was able to face the world with self-assurance. Initially, Theo had abandoned the wisdom of his parents in search of the ideal life. But by the series finale, the fun-loving teen became a prudent man who graduated from college. |
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Since Warner's death, I’ve read and seen many celebrity tributes and interviews about his life. And yet, I have not come across anyone who has a disparaging word to share, which is quite unique—and even an accomplishment—in our world of rage. |
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Warner, like his TV character, appeared to be a decent person (and maybe even a Christian). Someone who treated people with kindness and exemplified a type of Roman 12:18-ness (living peaceably with all men) while using his poetry to speak out about injustices. |
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Personally, he also showed me that growing up can sometimes mean growing apart from those we once admired, or shedding a piece of ourselves that others might have once liked. Like many other actors who seek to be known for their craft, Warner didn’t want one character—in his case, Theo—to define his life. Although his character (and what he represented in Black America) transcended the screen in many ways, he was still confined to TV, lacking the ability to exist past his last episode. And as his career evolved, he had to embrace the fact that some of his initial fans would no longer follow him to other worlds beyond The Cosby Show. |
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Like Warner in real life, and Theo in the show, we all have the ability to mature and grow beyond the characters we display, both to others and to ourselves. By doing so, we may have to depart from some friends, family, and practices. Our need for growth, in my view, never ends. “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years,” Charles Spurgeon once said. So let our fellowship with God be the tutor that leads us to graduate to new seasons. |
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Decades after The Cosby Show and the advent of social media, I often think about my own words and the previous public “episodes” I’ve starred in. “Why did I say that?” I ask myself. “What was I thinking?” But then, I praise God I’m not that person anymore. |
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A lot of us who display our lives on the internet will live behind a legacy for the world to scrutinize. What will they say of our character? What might be written in the “in memoriam” to tell others about who we truly were? The Lord brings us into the world, and he will take us out. What type of Theo will you leave behind? |
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As developments in artificial intelligence change daily, we’re increasingly asking what makes humanity different from the machines we use. In this issue, Emily Belz introduces us to tech workers on the frontlines of AI development, Harvest Prude explains how algorithms affect Christian courtship, and Miroslav Volf writes on the transhumanist question. Several writers call our attention to the gifts of being human: Haejin and Makoto Fujimura point us to beauty and justice, Kelly Kapic reminds us God’s highest purpose isn’t efficiency, and Jen Pollock Michel writes on the effects of Alzheimer’s . We bring together futurists, theologians, artists, practitioners, and professors to consider how technology shapes us even as we use it. |
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