Why do We Need Another Awareness Month - Mental Health Awareness?
May is Mental Health Awareness month. Awareness involves recognizing the importance of mental health, understanding mental illnesses, and promoting the well-being of individuals and communities. It aims to educate the public, reduce stigma, and encourage people to seek help when needed. By increasing awareness, society can foster an environment where mental health is prioritized just as much as physical health. Aren’t we already inundated with awareness - ribbons, social media, traditional media? Awareness is all around us; however, compassion, conversations, listening, understanding, destigmatization, walking along, and belonging are what is truly needed.
The relationship between mental health and the church is multifaceted, as church communities can play a vital role in holistically supporting those with mental illness. Churches are the body of Christ, providing a community of belonging and caring. The church is to walk like Christ, He would always stop and show compassion on the outsider and marginalized. The church is led by the Good Shepherd and He would always run to find that one lost, lonely, rejected sheep and bring it back to the flock - family. Walking along someone with mental illness seems like a scary task, however, simply listening can be the best approach. The suffering person may voice very unsettling things. Praying with them, not judging the struggles as a lack of prayer or sin. It is not a sin to hurt. We need action, not awareness. We need belonging, not awareness.
Unfortunately, the church has not had a good relationship with mental illness. Judgement, misunderstanding, and lack of desire to learn and listen has alienated those suffering with mental illness. However, the church can be instrumental in addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness. By openly discussing mental health within sermons and community activities, church communities can encourage understanding, compassion, and belonging. This openness can help reduce misconceptions and encourage individuals to seek help in their church. In despair, David cried out to God in the Psalm; John Newton compassionately took care of his friend who was crippled with depression; Richard Baxton cared for the depressed in his community, and Charles Spurgeon spoke out about his struggles with depression. What is wrong in the modern church that we are not caring for one another?
“I know, perhaps as well as anyone, what depression means, and what it is to feel myself sinking lower and lower. Yet at the worst, when I reach the lowest depths, I have an inward peace which no pain or depression can in the least disturb. Trusting in Jesus Christ my Savior, there is still a blessed quietness in the deep caverns of my soul, though upon the surface, a rough tempest may be raging, and there may be little apparent calm.” – “I know, perhaps as well as anyone, what depression means, and what it is to feel myself sinking lower and lower. Yet at the worst, when I reach the lowest depths, I have an inward peace which no pain or depression can in the least disturb. Trusting in Jesus Christ my Savior, there is still a blessed quietness in the deep caverns of my soul, though upon the surface, a rough tempest may be raging, and there may be little apparent calm.”
The church can provide a place of belonging where those suffering feel valued and cared for. Christians can walk alongside, listening, praying with and discipling, which all contribute to mental well-being. However, even with these helps, it is essential for people who are struggling to be under the care of professional mental health practitioners.
While the church can be a source of support, challenges exist. It is crucial for the church communities to recognize the limits of their support and the importance of professional mental health care. Additionally, churches must be sensitive to the diverse needs of their congregants, ensuring that mental health support is accessible to all. Churches should encourage their congregants to enter the professional mental health fields, which could be as simple as a Christian becoming a floor observer, staff that is on the floor to watch and engage with the patients. This role could be an avenue for sharing and witnessing through their love of Christ. Christians should always be compassionate and not of this world, willing to love the unloved.
In summary, mental health awareness and understanding mental illness are vital for creating a supportive society. The church, with its community reach and influence, can play a crucial role in fostering mental well-being and reducing stigma, while collaborating with mental health professionals to provide comprehensive support.