This week it was announced that actor and comedian Robin Williams had died by suicide. As the news ripened, it became the “top story” and then morphed into retrospectives of his films, television shows and interviews. His death and the manner of it instantly became fodder for talk show focuses on depression, suicide, mental illness and every other branch of those trees of issues.

Now I love television, movies, Broadway shows and all kinds of entertainment. I have long been involved in community theatre through writing, being onstage and working backstage so I appreciate very much the contributions of Robin Williams and I have sorrow for his struggle with depression.

And I truly believe mental health issues could use more than an occasional spotlight. But does his death truly deserve to be the top focus of evening and morning news? Is our personal entertainment and those who create and deliver it the singular focus of our lives and society?

As I listened to the tearful man-on-the-street interviews, saw videos of the growing floral memorials around Williams’s home and star on the Walk of Fame, heard outrage from talking heads about the state of mental health in this country, I began to wonder.  

Where is the discussion about the Christians being driven from their homes in the Middle East? Where are the memorials for our dead Christian brothers and sisters around the world? Where is the outrage about the fact that Iraqi Christians are being forced to denounce their religion or be killed by extremists? Where is our outrage about war being waged around them?  Where are the discussion boards and special news reports and retrospectives about religious liberty around the world?

That news has been but a whisper compared to the blare about Williams’ death. As an editor, I understand news cycles and I also understand that viewers, readers, listeners, hits, downloads of news stories and video equal dollars. What I don’t understand is our appetite for the trivial. Is it because even disagreement about celebrities is safer for us than honest discussion about religion, ethnicity and political struggle? Where is our perspective?

A very good friend of mine, Michael La Civita, is the chief communications officer for Catholic Near East Welfare Association. CNEWA is a papal agency which has been providing pastoral and humanitarian support to the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe for more than 85 years. CNEWA was founded by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and works for, through and with the Eastern Catholic churches to identify needs and implement solutions.

Besides having a deep knowledge of the church, people and politics of the Middle East, La Civita has a profound love for the people there — and I mean all people, the servants and the served. I was privileged to travel with him to the region several years ago to see both the struggle and the solutions provided by CNEWA firsthand.

Ever since that experience I have followed more closely the plight of Christians and I follow the news and reports from CNEWA’s website and “ONE Magazine.” So when I logged into social media and scrolled through the endless news feed of condolences and expressions of sorrow about Robin Williams, I wasn’t surprised to see La Civita’s voice stand out amid the din.

He wrote on Facebook: “God rest all the dead, including Robin Williams, but let’s not lose perspective, folks. Think of the 1900 people dead in Gaza — most of them women and children. Think of the poor families in Iraq forced at gunpoint to make a choice — and many chose certain death on a mountain top or on a march through the summer heat in a desert rather than give up their faith, their culture, their heritage. These nameless people deserve to be mourned and remembered, too.”

I was grateful for his comments and felt somewhat vindicated for not feeling compelled to post tearful sentiments on newly created websites and hashtags to honor an actor.

So today as I go about my business, write my column and say my prayers, I would ask  that you go ahead and pray for all victims of suicide and those who are challenged by depression and addiction first-hand or indirectly. But please also join in the conversation about our fellow Christians around the world. And remember that those of us, safe in our beds at night watching reruns of Robin Williams’ brilliant comedy, share a world with the poor and the persecuted and it is our duty to care more about them.

To learn more about CNEWA visit http://www.cnewa.org">http://www.cnewa.org.