Norm Macdonald: a diamond some day
I'm gonna kneel and pray every day
Unless I should become vain along the way
Hey, I'm just an old chunk of coal now, Lord
But I'm gonna be a diamond some day—Billy Joe Shaver
A saint is not someone who never sins, but one who sins less and less frequently and gets up more and more quickly.
—Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Norm Macdonald reached more than most comics, though he was never the most affluent by far. Whatever he lacked in money, he stored up his wealth in all of our hearts and in Heaven.
No other comedian would have received the same posthumous treatment as Norm. For all his faults, all his doubts, his humble kindness rang true and deeper in the soul than any other comic could have dreamed.
Adam Eget (who unfortunately has returned to his old day job) said in his farewell to Norm:
That is a testament to just how special Norm was. Comedy can easily become dated, but never Norm. It will stand the test of time. . . . Norm fans feel like we’re a part of something special. A community.
Norm was a Christian, and his deep connection with God was shared through something like osmosis with all of us, his beloved fans. We come away from his life feeling like we have somehow touched God.
Thankfully we have Norm’s testimony of Christ preserved. As a comic, a direct and serious tone might have been cumbersome, but when Norm was put on the witness stand he did not shy away.
The following dialogue can be found in the below compilation, from one of Norm’s interviews with Larry King:
Larry King: You get a lot of attention on Twittersphere for being open about your religious views, what are they?
Norm Macdonald: I am a Christian. It’s not stylish to say nowadays.
LK: Are you devout?
NM: Yes.
LK: You believe in the Lord?
NM: Yes I do.
LK: You think you’re going somewhere when it ends?
NM: Well, I don’t believe it . . . What people don’t understand about faith is that you have to choose it. You know what I mean? They think you believe it, but you have to choose it.
LK: So you choose to have faith?
NM: Yes.