Presented by Rev. Jesse Larson on Mental Health Awareness Sunday • September 20, 2020
Based on Matthew 15:21-28
“How are you doing?“
This most basic of questions has taken on a whole new relevance in the year 2020.
With each passing week, we seem to be managing a new crisis, and it’s safe to say that many of us aren’t doing too well. In July, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. To our credit, so many of us have adapted to this “new normal” rather quickly, but it’s also easy to slip into despair when we watch the nightly news.
Statistically speaking, some of us are afflicted with a mental disorder and at the very least, most of us know someone who struggles with a mental illness—a mood disorder, an anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, autism, a personality disorder, an eating disorder, etc. The pandemic, wildfires, and political chaos certainly aren’t making matters any better. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in five adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. This figure translates to about roughly 47 million people. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada.
So, clearly, many of us—a sibling, a relative, a friend, ourself—are often dealing with a mental health issue. But we also know that mental illness is still stigmatized in our society. Mental illness is often spoken about in whispers and behind closed doors. We hide our mental illness and we suffer quietly. And we are unsure about how to help someone who is battling a mental illness.
For example, some people think depression is simply feeling sad, and so they encourage the afflicted to put on a happy face and change their attitude, not understanding that depression can be truly debilitating. The insidious nature of depression is that you have no energy or ability to do the very things that might help you feel better. One of my best friends described depression to me as lying at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on your back, completely zapped of all energy, watching the walls close in. It sounds absolutely miserable.
When we have a physical ailment, we get fixed up and back on our merry way as soon as possible. After a broken bone or a surgery, we are given time to heal, medicine, and we receive a lot of additional support in our healing process—prayer, flowers, cards … and church deacons may bring us a meal. But for those struggling with mental illness, they often suffer in silence. We may not want to share our struggles as we can be viewed as being weak and broken.
Mental illness can confuse our behavior, which means we don’t act like our normal selves.
Like so many Bible stories about Jesus, today’s text is another that involves Jesus healing someone. The Gospels are full of accounts of his healings, and many of these healings have to do with people struggling with demons. Today many consider these “demons” to be possible mental health issues, even addictions. Interestingly, Jesus healed people with issues that afflicted the body AND the mind and soul. Indeed, Jesus sought to bring wholeness and healing for our entire being—our physical health, our mental health, our spiritual health.
What is so admirable about the mother who brought her daughter for healing in today’s story is her determination and faith. Her daughter was tormented by a demon, and the mother kept shouting to Jesus to “have mercy." The disciples tried to send her away, but she would not be deterred. Finally, after an exchange with Jesus in which she convinces him that her daughter is worthy of healing, Jesus exclaims, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
One lesson to learn from this text is to recognize that you, too, are worthy of healing. All people deserve compassion and support in the midst of their troubles. Suffer in silence no longer. Do not be ashamed. Seek out those who may be able to help you. Share your burdens with those who will listen and support you. Thankfully, society is becoming more open about managing mental health issues.
I see a counselor fairly regularly. We talk on the phone weekly, and I share with Barry the joys and pains I deal with in my life. After our conversations, I feel more grounded. A counselor listens to the issues you are struggling with, without judgment. He or she can help you to ponder new questions, consider different perspectives, and offer suggestions to better manage your issues. Ultimately, the whole purpose of a counselor is to empower you to feel better.
Another crucial lesson we can take away from the many healings Jesus conducted is that no one should be defined by his or her illness, be it a physical ailment or a mental illness. Remember, in Jesus’ day, anyone who was struggling with a physical or mental health issue was usually deemed unclean, and thus discarded. So when Jesus healed someone, he also restored them—they were no longer ostracized by the community. And the restoration of one’s position in the community was often just as valuable as the actual healing.
Christ calls us to continue to break down the barriers that separate us from one another and from God.
Some of our ailments will be cured, others won’t. We manage as best we can with each passing day, so all the more reason why our churches should be places of comfort and grace. Whatever brokenness you bring to the table, remember that we are unique individuals made in the image of God, with our own gifts and strengths and experiences. We are so much more than our flaws or our illnesses, so let us never be defined by them.
My great-great-grandfather—Charles Larson—died an alcoholic in a state mental health facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, many years ago. It was a sad ending, but my family doesn’t dwell on this small detail. Charles Larson left Sweden for a better life in the late 1800s. He settled in Erie and soon brought over his wife and son. I was fortunate to meet his son, my great-grandfather Henry Larson, who died at age 101 in 1987. Charles Larson was a ship’s carpenter who sailed the world seven times, and there are many tales about his adventures at sea. If you think about it, I wouldn’t be here without him. He had his struggles as we all do, but they were only a small piece of the person who God had made him to be.
Friends, I know these days are quite heavy. I often feel overwhelmed myself. Please know that you are not alone. If you are not doing well, please reach out to someone you trust. We have many helpful resources at our disposal which can help us to feel better, and manage in these trying times.
We hold fast to our faith that God is working in our lives to bring wholeness, restoration, and redemption in ways we may comprehend and in ways we may not. It will get better, and God will have the final word.
At the very least, as disciples of Jesus Christ on this wild journey together, may we be considered allies in the quest for a healthy and valued existence for all of God’s children. May it be so. Amen.
