talkTeam talk ‘ ’ j TEA M TALK It’s good to talk

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

HAVE you got a minute? Next Thursday (2 February) is Time to Talk Day, an annual event in which friends, families, communities and colleagues are invited to get together for a chat and to listen to one another. It’s an initiative run by the organisations Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, which are highlighting the importance of conversation when it comes to tackling mental health problems.

To learn a bit more, I visited the Time to Talk Day website, which offers numerous tips on how to support a friend or relative who is struggling with their mental health. It says that sending a text and stopping for a few minutes to ask how a friend is doing are ‘simple ways to start conversations about mental health and show the people in your life you’re prepared to talk and listen without judgement’.

The website also points out that when we talk openly with others, the resulting conversation ‘has the power to change lives’. I can believe that. In my experience, talking allows me to identify my emotions and, consequently, begin to process them a bit better. As I try to find the words to explain to someone what I’m feeling, I find clarity slowly emerging in my mind. And the knowledge that someone cares enough to listen to me also helps me to feel less alone.

While I see huge value in Time to Talk Day (and I hope that many people support it), my experience is that, as well as turning to friends, I can find ultimate comfort in my faith. The God I believe in is available for me to talk to any time, any day. And, because I believe that he loves me unconditionally, I know that I can tell him everything. Whether I’m embarrassed, ashamed or feeling guilty, I can confide in God and find forgiveness, understanding and strength.

Though opening up about our most private feelings may feel strange and unsettling, an honest conversation with God can also be greatly liberating. Every day, it’s worth making time for.

Mel Gibson resurrects sequel to biblical film

THE sequel to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is set to start filming in the spring, the Daily Mail reports.

The Australian directed the original 2004 film about Jesus’ death, which made $612 million worldwide, and he is now returning to direct The Resurrection, which focuses on the events after Jesus’ crucifixion.

Mel Gibson was asked about rumours of a sequel in 2016, when he took part in an interview at a Christian event in California, and said: ‘That is a huge undertaking, and you know, it’s not the Passion 2. It’s called the Resurrection.

‘Of course, that’s a very big subject and it needs to be looked at because we don’t want to just do a simple rendering of it – you know, read what happened.

‘But in order to read it, experience and probably explore deeper meanings of what it’s about, it’s going to take some doing.’