The Little Friar

One of the theological problems I've noticed lately is how we Christians handle mental illness.  In particular, though, I want to focus on depression .  It should really go without saying that the ministry of the Church is given to extending welcome and kindness.  But, sadly, that seems so little to happen.  So a pastoral word before I say what I really want to say. I've seen some terrible, horrible, awful, no good, rotten, very bad stuff on mental illness by Christians -- and most recently around the suicide of Robin Williams publicly.  But it's some of the stuff I've seen privately, around someone very vulnerable and close to my ministry that most bothers me.  So bear with me here.  Heaping guilt onto someone who's suffering is like tying a millstone around the neck of the vulnerable.  And, trust me, that's not something Jesus likes.  Think Matthew 18.6-9 here.  Where's our Christian compassion? Yes, we Christians have a bad track reco...

Some years ago, as a pastor, I was called upon to give Ann a Christian burial.   I'd gotten to know her only months before.  So I needed to talk to friends and family, to get a picture of her life.  Ann, you see, had committed suicide.   This is Ann's story, and what she taught me.  Ann's father deserted her when she was 3.  Her mother filled his void with a number of temporary replacements.  But they always saw Ann as "under foot".  She was discarded.  Passed around family members, shuffled from town to town, school to school.  She made acquaintances.  No friends.  Not enough stability.  So at 17, she created her own stability.  She latched onto the first man who'd give her attention.  She married young, and poorly.  He abandoned her eventually, with four kids, no job, no home, no money.  Her dreams withered.  She survived as best she could.  Bad jobs, followed by worse ones.  Abusive bo...