Some mornings I hate the freedom the internet gives us.
That's a little harsh, because, well, here I am, on the internet. I'm sure there's plenty of people who read what I write, and disagree just as much, so I need to chill for a minute.
(Breathe. Think. Breathe.)
I think what really bothers me is that the ones with the biggest followings, or the most influence (in the terms of reaching the most people) aren't addressing the horrible things we experience with the fullness of grace that we're called to. (Myself included. Believe me, I've spent a good thirty minutes bouncing off the walls in my house, venting my frustrations and anger at people's generic statements, usually in colorful terms.)
(Breathe, think, breathe.)
Mental illness and depression (and suicide) are hot topics again today, because now it's public knowledge of a celebrity's struggle with these things.
And, all of a sudden, everyone's an expert. Dealing with it your whole life does not make one an expert, it makes someone who has a perspective worthy of adding to the discussion.
As I see it, and don't crucify me (I can do that well enough on my own, thankyouverymuch), the things we each go through are just as individual to us as our fingerprints. Not one person lives the same exact life as someone else. No one has the same experiences, the same family, the same emotions, the same brain, the same hormones, the same work ethic, or even the same faith.
Because of all those differences, how each one of us responds to our life experiences differs, as well.
The same can be said for illness. Mental illness has been likened to cancer, in that it's a disease; a malfunction in the proper operation of the body.
There are different kind of cancers. Some are slow progressing, easily detected, and treatable; while others are quick, aggressive, ruthless, and leave us shaking in the wake of a life gone too soon.
Because of all the different kind of cancers, there are different kinds of treatments. One treatment may work for some kind of cancers, where the same treatment may be completely ineffective for others.
In order to treat cancer, the doctor has to know the patient, know the disease, and know the treatments.
In the case of depression, just as with cancer, there are varying degrees of depression; each as individual as the lives of the people who struggle with it.
Internet experts may state that 'finding your joy' is the trick to beating depression. And maybe that worked for them, and it may actually help someone else who fights their depression. God willing, I pray it does.
But for those who struggle with the agony of opening their eyes each day, this advice is more than likely going to be received with a retaliatory punch in the throat; especially when the advice is delivered with what could be perceived as condescension and false expertise.
As those who follow Christ, we have a responsibility to one another. That responsibility is a call to love, with grace and compassion.
Grace and compassion allow us to see one another as fellow human beings; as people, all of us broken in some way, shape, or form. Whether we can see each other's brokenness isn't the point, neither is it to point out the brokenness, or offer our quick fix solutions. We're just called to be there. To share our lives.
The more deeply we become involved in one another's lives, the more we discover that our "kitsch Jesus" doesn't answer the tough questions in life. Simple, one-liner, crutches (most of which lack any theological truth) won't help those who may be drowning in darkness. If we look carefully, we'll see that our kitsch Jesus mentality steers us clear of any of the darkness in this life, as well as the darkness in the lives of others. Our kitsch Jesus mentality keeps us on a pedestal of our own creation, zinging one-liners out to whoever we see below us. After all, we have all the answers (in one line)... what would we ever need God for??
If we treated each person we met with the 'one-liner-fixes-all' mentality, then we're missing out on the beauty of the love and healing of Christ, that, Newsflash: He uses us for, in the lives of those around us.
To love, as we're called to love, is to de-elevate ourselves; deflate the importance of our self-imposed beliefs for the sake of sharing love and truth with someone. To love is to be connected. The value of our relationships become evident in our presence with one another, not in our correctness. (Think about it... is there anyone in your life who always has to be right? We don't end up spending much time with them, do we.) To love is to value you, just as you are. Just as I am. And to realize that what worked for me in certain situations may not work for you, and that's okay. You are not me, and I am not you. Acceptance of that truth alone may just change the way we look at each other, and respond to one another.
If we were to spend time together, getting to know one another, instead of advising and judging one another, we might just see how our presence in each other's lives makes our story go on just a little bit longer. In the life of someone battling mental illness, depression, or suicidal thoughts, that may make all the difference in the world.
Together, we might just be able to hold off the darkness.
Even if it's just for one more day.
