Accompaniment Pandemic, Mental Health and
by Dr. John Sumarah
During the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, I received a telephone call from my doctor’s office inquiring about my mental health. I was surprised; and impressed! As a person involved in mental health for many years, I appreciated the awareness that mental health was an important contributor to our overall well-being. Asked what I needed, I said that their reaching out meant a lot to me. The pandemic has surely highlighted mental health as a major societal concern. Those with mental health issues may have found them to be exacerbated during the pandemic. Others are experiencing the awareness that our mental health is fragile. Perhaps it always was, but the pandemic has heightened our experiences of fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, depression, and loneliness. Our stress levels are high. We grieve many losses, perhaps a loved one or the
inability to be with one in need, the loss of health, financial security, and the loss of connection and our usual social and psychological supports. People on the introverted side who normally welcome solitude are saying, “Too much of a good thing these days.” Those on the extroverted side normally energized by social encounters are wishing for more than virtual contact. Many are advocating for governmental support for mental health services including virtual therapy. One of the many questions facing our Christian communities is, “How do we reach out and respond to each other during this time of mental health concern?” First, we need to reach into ourselves and realize that we are all fragile. We have our moments and while each one’s experience of loneliness, discouragement, and sadness is unique, we can, of course, relate to
this human condition. When we find our own ability to manage our mental health needs attention, we need to begin to reach out to others. It is important that we are honest with our reality rather than deny, negate, or even judge ourselves for our experience. In our Christian communities we understand the importance of hospitality. The essence of hospitality is welcoming another person into our lives; that is, into our hearts. To do this, we must make space in our lives and hearts. When I am busy or distracted or preoccupied, it is not easy to invite others in. Genuine hospitality is always motivated by love. Welcoming one whose circumstance may be quite different from my own means that something in me might change. That is what makes these encounters challenging and, also, ... continued on page 4 Winter 2021
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