Spirituality

The Grace To Be INTENTIONAL

After facing an increase in violence, civil unrest, protests, the wearing masks, quarantining and isolating, a global pandemic with COVID-19, seeing businesses, organizations and churches with less occupancy, and now talks

about a viral disease called Monkeypox, these last two years has been, too, much to handle and quite a scare. For some, who may have immunocompromised systems, mental health issues, alarming financial conditions, have loss of family and friends, talk about a nightmare. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 global pandemic has triggered a 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide in its first year. 1

What this suggests is that health anxiety and depression has been aggravated because not only do we have to

deal with what’s going on in our lives and the world but we also have to see it on social media. This intensifies

these triggers and the statistics will probably increase even more, especially since social media has become

the latest trend of technology and how we communicate and seek entertainment. Thus, adding to the thoughts

of suicide that some may experience because of no support and treatment. Are we under siege by violence, COVID-19 and now Monkeypox?

People of all ages are experiencing depression. “Depression is just not

unhappiness. Depression is not just despair. Depression is not just sadness. Depression is a sense of feeling lost,”2 says Dr. Jamal Bryant in his sermon on ‘In Sickness and In Health.’ Therefore, we cannot let a persistent attack, illness or sense of loss keep us from the reflection of Thanksgiving and the support of National Coming Out Day. We have been given these events and days to return light

back into dark places. We must comfort, advocate, stand, accept, love, assist and defend those who bear the struggle of suffering in silence because they cannot

“come out the closet” to their family and friends about their sexuality. We must

use our tools, skills and resources to bring balance and peace to all of

those who are suffering in silence. We must keep the line moving to

bring awareness, treatment, prevention and open doors to those who

need access.

If awareness, treatment, prevention and open doors are not offered

to keep the line moving then it leads to internal stressors, long

term health disparities, negative self-talk, phobias and embedded

theologies. As a matter of fact we need deliberative theology which

requires honesty and openness regarding things that are difficult

even in our faith. We must use our theology as faith to understand

and to challenge our spiritual growth so that we may be wise and mature

even in our understanding of reflection of Thanksgiving and support of National Coming Out Day.

We must be intentional in our health, in treatment, in our thoughts,

in our ideas, in our purpose, in transformation, in diversity and inclusivity and even in the faith. We cannot have a theology without including God and how God relates to matters concerning the world and things that affect what God has created has to be God centered.

How we respond in worship and in the world is a demonstration of our experience and encounter with God and if we experience and encounter God with intentions of addressing the problems that plague

and disproportionately affect our communities then we would come to worship and in the world understanding that we respond with grace in what we are believing God for. We all are afforded some level of God’s grace.

And what we are believing in God for is intentionality, healing,

treatment, transformation, diversity, inclusivity, acceptance, love, and equality. God’s grace provides room to us all for healing,

wholeness, treatment, love, support, inclusion, welcome, acceptance and equality. Our responsibility is to give honor and not ostracize because that’s not demonstrating the love of God. So this is

the perfect timing to convince people that you know how to be children of God’s light offered a world that has not been giving or

demonstrated that light by humanity.

1World Health Organization, “COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide, accessed August 23, 2022, www.who.int.

2Dr. Jamal H. Bryant, “In Sickness and in Health,”

by Bishop Darnell Gooch, Jr., DMin,

Cathedral of Praise Church of Memphis, Inc.