In the 1970's,
The Carpenters, came out with a simple
song about “the blues”. Words and the voice of Karen Carpenter have stuck in my memory. Some of the lyrics
are:
Talkin' to myself and feeling old. Sometimes I'd like to quit;
Nothing ever seems to fit; Hangin'
around, nothing to do but frown; Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.
This is one of many contemporary
songs that express the feelings of depression. The Scriptures also describe this condition with frankness,
particularly in the Psalms. We heard
words earlier from Psalm 42 that refer to this heaviness; the writer is
wondering why he feels so distraught. Psalm 88 ends with saying that “my only
friend is darkness.” The Bible is very honest about what we deal with
as human beings
Today we look once again at the life of the Hebrew prophet Elijah
and the story today gives us perhaps a surprising glimpse into his emotional condition.
Elijah is a man of power who is not
afraid to confront the king/queen when he feels they have gone against God.
He defends the worship and allegiance to God against the worship
of other gods. Prior to today's reading,
Elijah has been involved in a showdown between himself and the prophets who
follow Baal.
This contest seeks to
answer the question :Whose God controls
the rain and the fire? Both sides have made constructions of wood and are
entreating the gods to inflame them.
Elijah wins when his sacrifice of wood
is ignited by lightning . As a consequence,the opposing prophets are killed.
Elijah had been looking
forward to this day for a long time: God's power was finally evident to the
people ! It appears to be a great day of
victory; even the three year drought is ended when Elijah prophesies that it
will rain. It could be the best day of
Elijah's life!
However the Queen
Jezebel hearing of the defeat and
slaughter of her prophets sends to Elijah
this intimidating message: “Watch your back because you are next !” With a threat against his life, Elijah runs
and hides himself away. Quickly he goes
from jubilation to darkness.
His actions of bravery are
followed by a time of deep despair. He is described as not wanting to
live; he feels that he is all alone and
that he
has no worth. He is not eating or sleeping well. Exhausted and in isolation,
it appears that Elijah's pain is great.
The qualities of major depression can be seen in Elijah's
life: depressed mood, no interest in
life, fatigued , feeling worthless,
hopeless, with thoughts of dying.
Depression has been described in
these ways: “it feels like I'm swimming in mud”
and “there is nothing
interesting...Yet you keep on. You have to. Others depend on you. There are
bills to pay, children to raise, laundry to do, a yard to mow. You put off what
you can, doing only what is absolutely necessary. Because just existing takes
such effort and you are bone -weary all the time.”
Depression influences how one feels, what they do, and
how they think. Not just on Mondays, but ever day of the week can be
devastating.
You may live with depression or know someone who has: Nearly one
in ten adults each year are affected in the U.S. It can happen to any of us
and it is expressed in a variety of ways. It can be a lifetime issue or a shorter response to a particular crisis in
one's life. Thee are many reasons and causes for this disease
which affects us physically, mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually.
Even in our day when depression medications are advertised on t.v.
and persons in the public arena have
shared that they deal with depression
and other mental diseases, it can still be a
tender topic .
Let's look at some of the misconceptions that have been expressed even
by people of faith:
It's all in your head; you could snap out of it.
It is all your fault; you brought this on yourself.
If you had more faith, if
you truly believed and trusted in God
than you would not feel this way.
You need to cheer up and count your blessings.
Something must be wrong with your relationship to God.
You need to be strong .
Your life looks good to me; what do you have to be sad about?
If you don't talk about it, it will go away.
None of these attitudes are true or helpful, and some are very
harmful in responding to someone who is hurting.
What can we do as followers of Jesus that will promote healing?
A man was questioning his pastor: “Why can't I just pray and that
be enough?” His pastor assured him that
we certainly need God's grace, and many
times God's grace and healing come to us through other people. Here are 7 actions that we can take:
-As a church, we can
provide a safe supportive place where people can feel accepted no matter what
they are facing. This can be a place
where someone does not have to be ashamed about their hurts.
Monica Coleman (minister and college professor in California) :“My
faith has been the ground and saving force for me in the midst of living with a
bipolar depressive condition. In my most difficult darkest moments I know with
every fiber of my being that God is with me, and that God understands what I am
going through and how I feel...I feel that God wants my wellness, but sits with
me and holds me when I'm unwell.”
-We can offer our friendship and listen to and support one
another. Elijah was alone in the
wilderness and God sent two friends,angels that ministered to him. They comforted Elijah and provided company
and food and rest. Because of their caring,
Elijah was able to go on.
-We can offer Scriptures
and songs of faith to be anchors in the storm. (References of hope:
Psalm 31:7 Psalm 147:3 Psalm 46:1 Psalm 18:28
Psalm 107:14)
-We can share our faith in a God who loves each of us without
qualification. A young woman named Caly
in her depression felt that she
was worthless .She couldn't believe that
God loved her. She said: ” This may sound silly to anyone who has not
experienced depression, but it was a triumphant day when I could finally look
in the mirror and say 'You are a good person 'and totally believe it. That has
made all the difference in my life.”
-When we don't know what to say, we can simply express that we
care. We can ask how we might be most helpful.
-We can offer our prayers ,and when folks are too tired to pray
for themselves, we can assure them that we will not stop praying for them.. The
actress Brooke Shields has said : “When I felt there was nothing I could do
to help myself, knowing that I was prayed for was often the only thing that
stood between me and despair.”
-I am very grateful for the doctors, counselors, therapists, the
groups, medications, and therapies that help bring healing. When we have
concerns about someone's behavior, we can encourage them to see their doctor
and to get help.
Psalm 34:18"The Lord
is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed. "
We can above all offer HOPE.
We can affirm to those suffering that God wants them to get better.
Mike Wallace, the
journalist known for his work on 60 Minutes,
lived with depression throughout
his life.. He said that he was grateful for the help he had been given during
his darkest days but he worried that people would think less of him if they
knew about his depression.
That changed one night when he was being interviewed on a late
night talk show by Bob Costas. He
realized that people up at 1:00am might need to hear his story. Mike Wallace
wanted whoever was listening to
understand how low he had been but that he was getting better every day with
treatment and that help was out there for them too. He realized that telling his story and passing on the hope
benefited himself and others.
The image of a sunflower has become the symbol of hope for those
who know depression. The flower reminds us of all who are seeking light that
will bring wholeness.
The sunflower grows tall and strong as it reaches toward the
light. I am wearing this sunflower in
memory and honor of all those in my family and others who with courage and
faith live each day facing their mental
illness.
May the hope of Jesus enable us and all troubled
in mind, body and spirit to live in peace this day.
Resources used in this sermon:
"Not Alone: Reflections on Faith and
Depression" by Dr. Monica Coleman, 2013.
"Jesus Wept:When Faith and Depression
Meet" by Barbara Crafton, 2009.
“Living Well with Depression and Bipolar
Disorder “ by John McManamy, 2006.
"When Someone You Love Suffers from
Depression or Mental Illness", by Cecil Murphey, 2004
“Mike Wallace's Darkest Hour” Guidepost Magazine, 5-15-2012
National
Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org
