For use with devozine meditations for February 6–12, 2012. Print-Friendly Version
MAKING THE CONNECTION
“Just as I was starting graduate school in the early 90s, I experienced depression for the first time. I was generally an up-beat person. Of course, I had felt down or sad before; but this was qualitatively different. I felt as if I had been enshrouded in a lead suit. I felt heavy and unreachable, and getting through the day took an immense amount of energy. I felt as if my brain and my soul had been drugged.
“What I have learned since is that in some ways I had been drugged. The chemicals in my brain had changed, and I was feeling the effects of the change as surely as I would have felt the impact of arthritis or kidney stones. Certainly, external environmental factors contributed to my depression; but physiologically something had shifted in my body. I was sick.
“For too long I tried to be strong and to get through the depression on my own. Why am I feeling this way? I shouldn’t be acting like this, I thought. I was ashamed because I had always been strong and confident, but now I felt weak and insecure. I shut myself off at a time when I most needed a loving community.
“Eventually, I did get help, and I did get better. Through my personal experience with depression and through subsequent work with adolescents in a psychiatric hospital, I have learned two important lessons:
- Health is a spectrum of wellbeing, whether we characterize it as mental or physical health. We are always in a state of flux, and we are all going to get sick at one time or another.
- The Christian community has much to offer when it comes to mental illness. Romans 12:12 (NRSV) says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” When we lovingly accompany those who suffer, we can, with God’s help, become a community of support and encouragement that may foster and enhance healing.” —Steve
MEET THE WRITER
Steve Matthews was a youth minister for more than fifteen years. At present, he is living in central Virginia on a small farm with two cats, one dog, and sixteen chickens. He loves growing his own food as well as cooking and eating it. Steve is working as a spiritual director and consultant in the area of “Contemplative Approaches to Ministry.” He was also a writer for The Way of Pilgrimage: An Adventure in Spiritual Formation for the Next Generation.
STUFF YOU WILL NEED
- Bibles (or copies of Romans 12:1–15)
- large sheets of paper
- markers
- index cards
- pens or pencils
PLUGGED IN
+ Darkness Visible—First Light is an eleven-minute documentary for and about teenagers who have struggled with mental illness. The participants discuss the social effects of mental illness. One in four people will seek help for mental illness each year. We need to create safe space in faith communities where teens and adults can talk about the challenges of life.
+ The way we label people is also a major issue when dealing with public perceptions of mental health. Simon Says is a short video that addresses how stereotyping can hinder our ability to see people as whole and complete. When labeling is constant and severe, people may start believing that they are the label attached to them.
+ If your group likes music, you might find the song or the lyrics of “Breathe Me” by Sia to be a good resource.
+ Finally, you may want to provide the National Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline Numbers as a resource for the youth, their friends, and their families.
CHECKING IN
Begin with an opening ritual: observing a moment of silence, inviting the group to say a short prayer, or lighting a candle to symbolize Christ’s presence. Take a moment to claim the space and time as holy.
Ask people to think of a time in the past month or so when they felt unusually sad, anxious, confused, defeated, or angry. Then ask them to reflect on these questions:
How did you feel about yourself at that time?
Did you talk to anyone about how you were feeling?
Why is it difficult to talk about our darker feelings?
Gently invite people to talk a bit about the experiences they are remembering. Ask them to participate only to the degree they feel comfortable doing so, and encourage them to listen to one another prayerfully without comment.
EXPLORING THE WORD
Scripture: Romans 12:1–15
Mental illness will eventually touch each of us. We may be the one who seeks help. A friend or a loved one may be struggling. Either way, it is helpful to remember that no one is completely healthy. Sometimes our feelings and perceptions of the world get skewed and overwhelm us. Though there is health and sanity in each of us, there is also some measure of sickness and confusion that we all contend with. What matters is not that we are on the road to perfect health or the perfect life. What matters is that we dare to walk the road of life with a sense of honesty and vulnerability and that we walk alongside companions we trust, people who will help us and see in us the hope and possibility that we may not always see in ourselves.
Distribute Bibles or copies of the scripture passage. Invite people to read Romans 12:1–15. Then ask them to identify and discuss phrases in the passage that might help Christian communities know how to relate to people suffering from mental illness. Summarize and record their responses on the newsprint.
If no one mentions Romans 12:2, point out this verse and invite people to discuss this question:
Why is it important for us to transform or renew our minds regarding the issue of mental illness?
Invite people to name different categories of mental illness (anorexia, dementia, depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia). Record their responses on the newsprint. Then ask:
How are these labels helpful? (They help us identify health issues so that they can be treated.)
What are the dangers of labels? To what degree are these labels used to stigmatize people? (People may over-identify with their illness because of the labels or come to believe that they are their diagnosis. They may isolate themselves from others at a time when they need the help of other people. Social isolation is not good for most people, and it is especially dangerous for those struggling with mental illness.)
Say something like this: “Fear of their illness being found out or of being stigmatized is enough to keep many people isolated. Based on our exploration of Romans 12:1–15, what is a faithful response from the Christian community toward those struggling with mental health issues?”
SHARING IN PRAYER
Distribute index cards and pens. Then invite people to participate in prayer as outlined below:
- Encourage group members to take a few minutes to think about the people in their lives who have been faithful to them when they have gone through a difficult time. Ask them to speak aloud the names of these people as prayers of gratitude.
- Invite group members to write on an index card the names of people they know who are struggling with mental health issues and then to pray in silence for each person. (Encourage them to save their card as a reminder to continue to pray for these people again in the days ahead.)
- Finally, invite people to pray for themselves and for others in the room. Suggest that they pray that their group will be a community where struggling young people may come to find safety, love, and the hope of healing.
Close by praying aloud this prayer:
“Dear God, we each know someone who is having a hard time right now and who may feel overwhelmed. Help us as a faith community to know how to faithfully and lovingly walk alongside our struggling friends and family members. Help us to remember that we cannot fix someone else’s problems, but we can come together as your community of love and create a place where it’s OK to be imperfect and broken. Teach us, by your grace, to honor your image in each person we meet. Amen.”
TAKING IT FURTHER
Invite people to pray about how God might be calling your group to reach out to those struggling with mental illness. Perhaps they feel called to accompany more faithfully a particular person who is struggling with mental health issues, or maybe they want to meet some of the specific needs of an adult group home in your town. Maybe your group would like to plan a fundraiser for a local non-profit that addresses mental health issues.
