REFL RE FLEC FL ECTI EC TION TI ON REFLECTION
HOPE FROM DESPAIR Cadet Chris Button reflects on 2 Corinthians 1:3–11, with a focus on mental health
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E often think of Paul as the trailblazing apostle who travelled across Europe to spread the gospel, enduring imprisonment, torture and eventually death, all for the sake of the Kingdom of God. We rarely think about the broken, despairing, imprisoned man who simply wished that he could die. Yet Paul was both of these things. Like many of us Paul lived a messy and complicated life. He could experience tremendous highs and equally tremendous lows. We can learn as much from his lows as we can from his highs. In 2 Corinthians 1:8 Paul describes the suffering he had experienced during his time in the province of Asia. He says that he was ‘so utterly, unbearably crushed’ that he ‘despaired of life itself’ (Revised Standard Version). Perhaps many people reading those words don’t need to imagine how they would feel – they know exactly what it is like to despair of life. They might well be able to say to Paul that they understand what it is like to live a life that feels as if they have been sentenced to death. It can be difficult for those of us who struggle with those particular feelings, or with any of the many difficulties that can come from issues with our mental health. The people around us, trying to be helpful, may tell us that we need to pray more or have more faith. Yet these feelings – the difficulties surrounding mental health – do not stem from a lack of faith. In this Bible passage Paul does not talk about losing his faith. In fact, his faith is his only consolation. Christians and people of faith in general can have a dangerous tendency to associate mental illness with a lack of faith. If someone has the flu we don’t tell them it is because they have a weak faith or that they are not trusting God enough. We would tell them to rest, to 18
Salvationist 23 February 2019
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Our faith does not protect us from feeling utterly crushed and despairing of life, yet it can help us through those times
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go to the doctor, to get the help they need. We should take the same approach to mental health as we do for physical health – not piling on blame but encouraging people to seek support. This doesn’t mean that faith has nothing to do with mental health. On the contrary, Paul found hope – his only hope, in fact – in the God who had rescued him before and would rescue him again. Paul’s faith did not protect him from feeling ‘utterly, unbearably crushed’ or from despairing of life itself but it did give him an anchor to hang on to during those times. I know that when feeling completely and utterly crushed by life, and full of despair to the extent that I simply want to die, faith is difficult. This is where faith is not about feeling but about believing. We may not feel there is any hope. We may feel that God has abandoned us. Paul probably had those same moments of doubt and fear. But it is in wrestling with God to hold on to faith that, even
when we don’t feel it, even when we don’t know it, perhaps even when we don’t fully believe it, we can still hope. Paul ends this section of his letter by saying that others had joined in helping him through their prayers. When we are not the person going through the time of trouble it can be difficult to know what to do. We want to fix things and make things better for the person who is feeling utterly in despair. It is hard to come to terms with the fact that often it is something that we cannot solve. We can, however, support, encourage and love the person in need, offering whatever acts of kindness are appropriate if the person wants them. Most importantly, we can pray for each other at all times. We can journey alongside someone who is suffering when we pray for that person. Our faith does not protect us from feeling utterly crushed and despairing of life, yet it can help us through those times. Experiencing difficulties with our mental health is not a sign that we are weak or lacking in any way. God is there in the midst of it all, faithful to the promise that nothing can separate us from his love. CHRIS IS A CADET IN THE MESSENGERS OF COMPASSION SESSION
