Tragedy has pop singer Robin Thicke rethinking faith. First, the sudden death of famous dad Alan Thicke “rattled his soul.” Then came a miscarriage and the loss of his Malibu home. And in the face of the heartbreak, Robin decided to take time out to count his blessings.
Up until now, Robin Thicke’s made-for-radio pop tunes have typically been rife with sexual themes and innuendos. But Robin Thicke’s single, "Testify" surprisingly hits a few spiritual notes.
And the singer credits a spiritual awakening inspired by tragedy for this 180-degree turn.
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Sudden Death Of Alan Thicke Rattles Son’s Soul
Many remember Robin’s famous father, Alan Thicke, from his role as Dr. Jason Seaver in the popular 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains." In December 2016, Alan suddenly collapsed while playing a game of ice hockey with his youngest, son, Carter. They rushed the 69-year-old Alan Thicke to the hospital, where he died of a heart attack.
The sudden loss rocked Robin Thicke to the core.
"My father passed away a couple of years ago and I thought I had an album and these songs that I wanted to put out. Then when that happened, it was something I wasn't expecting and it just rattled my soul," Robin, 41, explained. "So, I took some time to re-think the album and then these songs started pouring out that had more meaning and more weight to them."
Sometimes a significant loss can inspire us to analyze the choices we’ve made in our own lives. And the lyrics from “Testify” certainly suggest that’s the case with Robin Thicke.
"It was the perfect day
And everything changed
I lost my father suddenly Couldn't keep it together, my family
And all my reckless ways caught up with me."
Singer Robin Thicke Rethinking Faith After Tragedy
The song also makes mention of the miscarriage Robin and his 24-year old girlfriend, model April Love Geary, suffered before the birth of their daughter, Mia Love.
The self-reflection provoked by these and other hardships led singer Robin Thicke to a spiritual awakening.
“The message in the song is really about the hope and the light at the end of that tunnel when you feel that you lost or you feel that you don't know what to do next,” Robin explained. "You know, that reconnection to God or spirituality or something deeper than the surface is what brings you back home to who you really are and who you want to be."
Although there is not a lot known about Thicke's personal faith and beliefs, his dad, Alan Thicke, took his "Growing Pains" co-star Kirk Cameron under his wing several years ago, when Kirk decided to convert to Christianity.
After his conversion, Kirk struggled when asked to film suggestive scenes that didn’t line up with his Christian beliefs. Alan encouraged Kirk through this tough time. He was the one who suggested that the young star (now 48) take a step back from secular entertainment. Instead, Alan encouraged Kirk to seek opportunities based in Christian faith.
"What I said was, very sincerely, ‘If you're seriously disturbed by a show like ‘Growing Pains' being blue, then I think you're not going to find a gentler vehicle on network TV for your beliefs, and what you should do is take the wonderful fan base which you have, and take your fan base to Christian broadcasting where you don't have to fight with the people you disagree with,'" Alan Thicke revealed to Fox News back in 2012. "And all these years later I think that's exactly what he's done."
Singer Robin Thicke Is Counting His Blessings
Celebrity status, just like faith, doesn’t guarantee a life free of troubles. In fact, Robin Thicke and his family lost their Malibu home to the devastating wildfires that swept California in November 2018. It’s a home that held many treasured memories.
Still, when life brings adversity, God is always there to make beauty out of ashes. And we certainly hope and pray that as life has Robin Thicke rethinking faith, the singer will continue to look for God’s message is all the mess.
"After you go through those tough times, you want to celebrate what you do have," Robin Thicke said.
Robin continued, "Like after we lost our home in the fire, the first thing I do every morning is gratitude for what I do have, what I still have. We lost our home, but I have love, I have children, I have family, I have friends. I get to make music for a living, which is what I love to do. So I think sometimes tragedy makes you count your blessings. So the album will hopefully be littered with some spirituality and some finding yourself. But it also is about, let's celebrate all this greatness we have around us."
Robin's new song and remarks about God are quite broad, but only the Almighty truly knows his heart. We certainly pray God’s truth will take root.
The Father takes our pain and brokenness and uses it as an opportunity to meet us. Those moments of grace and mercy are where we find the light in a world that is dark and, in many times, hopeless.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
h/t: Christian Headlines
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Robin Thicke
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