A Sound Mind
Before them the earth shakes (Joel 2:10)
I cannot be alone in finding that my mental health is deteriorating. Things with which I would normally cope without difficult have become significant hurdles. My family, whose everyday foibles are normally mildly amusing or slightly discomforting, have become a source of real irritation. I say things I shouldn't or act in ways that are thoughtless.
What surprises me is how suddenly this has come on. Weeks of coping with the lockdown, even enjoying some aspects of it, like longer walks and more time in the garden, have come to a dramatic end. Almost overnight, I am having to find new strategies to be kind to others and careful of myself. And I'm someone living in a loving and supportive family, and who has many resources both personal and professional to deal with these struggles. What must it be like in a dysfunctional family group for someone with little training or experience of self care? I can only imagine.
What little evidence we have suggests that domestic abuse has risen sharply. Searches for domestic abuse have gone up by around 50% and one website dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse has had an increase in footfall by over 150%, that's two and a half times as many people identifying as abuse victims. As couples find themselves at home together 24 hours a day it seems incidents of abuse and feelings of threat rise. Not much of a surprise.
For some, loneliness is a factor in a decline in mental health. When your social lifeline comes in the form of regular groups meeting to do art, have coffee, perform pilates and so on, their absence is not a minor inconvenience that can be made up with YouTube videos, or shared challenges. There is a big difference between living alone and being lonely, but this crisis has caused the two to smash together in an almighty pile-up. Sadly the online world that is such a boon to the young is not always set up for the elderly. They often rely on experts to sort out their computers (another OMA - see April 16), who may now be unable to provide the support needed. Wouldn't it be great if those companies with endless second hand tech could offer a free iPad to every 70 year old who needed one, with careful written instructions? Maybe one of the bigger corporations could offer a dedicated helpline for the elderly to help them get in touch with relatives and friends.
I think though the wider problem for our mental health may be the nebulous one. 'The earth shakes, the sky trembles' writes Joel. I strongly suspect this is not meant literally. I doubt there was a real earthquake. And I've never heard of the sky trembling. Rather it refers to the unfocussed sense of dread that everyone feels when faced with a major disaster. This crisis is made worse because the government is invested in making us frightened. The subtext of all those adverts on saving lives might be 'don't go out or you'll kill someone'. Usually the role of leadership is to calm and focus the efforts of the people. This crisis is no exception, but fear lurks on every doorstep delivery, every assault on the shops, every talk at two metres. It is almost impossible for people not to pick it up and it shakes our lives to the core.
Does Joel have an answer? Well, I wonder. It intrigues me why he assigns all this destruction to the Lord. The classic answer is the presbyterian preacher's rant on hellfire and damnation. Fear the Lord for he comes with fire and an army of warriors. I, for one, think fear of the Lord, as holy awe rather than cringing terror, has an important place in God's message to the world, but I'm not sure this is the core of Joel's message. I wonder whether there is a more subtle message: trust the Lord for he is at the head of this destructive force and receive comfort that even the terrors of the world at their greatest are in God's hand.
I was recently reminded of the Corrie Ten Boom story of the lice-infested huts in her concentration camp. Her companions took it as a curse but she chose to receive it as a blessing, and it soon became evident that she was right. The camp guards avoided her hut because of the lice, which allowed a group of them to read the Bible, to pray and to worship free from fear of discovery. As our world shakes is there any way we can follow her example, to see what others fear is a curse, as a blessing?
I need to be careful here. Putting our whole trust in the living God is often a vital step towards a healthy mindset, but is not a kind of cure-all answer. Often it's a step beyond us here and now, and anyway mental health is almost always much too complicated for a single moment to bring healing. But I am suggested that being aware that we are not alone in this struggle may help us to see a light at the end of a dark tunnel. We are surrounded by people going through the same thing. They may smile and look positive on the outside but it often hides a deep disquiet. They are our travelling companions and we would do well to share our struggles as well as our hopes with them. Not only that but we have a heavenly companion, a loving heavenly father, who, whether we believe in him or not, has not left our side. No amount of COVID-19 can keep Jesus from his place in our hearts, if we but invite him in. 'Behold, I stand, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone would open the door, I will come in'
I cannot be alone in finding that my mental health is deteriorating. Things with which I would normally cope without difficult have become significant hurdles. My family, whose everyday foibles are normally mildly amusing or slightly discomforting, have become a source of real irritation. I say things I shouldn't or act in ways that are thoughtless.
What surprises me is how suddenly this has come on. Weeks of coping with the lockdown, even enjoying some aspects of it, like longer walks and more time in the garden, have come to a dramatic end. Almost overnight, I am having to find new strategies to be kind to others and careful of myself. And I'm someone living in a loving and supportive family, and who has many resources both personal and professional to deal with these struggles. What must it be like in a dysfunctional family group for someone with little training or experience of self care? I can only imagine.
What little evidence we have suggests that domestic abuse has risen sharply. Searches for domestic abuse have gone up by around 50% and one website dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse has had an increase in footfall by over 150%, that's two and a half times as many people identifying as abuse victims. As couples find themselves at home together 24 hours a day it seems incidents of abuse and feelings of threat rise. Not much of a surprise.
For some, loneliness is a factor in a decline in mental health. When your social lifeline comes in the form of regular groups meeting to do art, have coffee, perform pilates and so on, their absence is not a minor inconvenience that can be made up with YouTube videos, or shared challenges. There is a big difference between living alone and being lonely, but this crisis has caused the two to smash together in an almighty pile-up. Sadly the online world that is such a boon to the young is not always set up for the elderly. They often rely on experts to sort out their computers (another OMA - see April 16), who may now be unable to provide the support needed. Wouldn't it be great if those companies with endless second hand tech could offer a free iPad to every 70 year old who needed one, with careful written instructions? Maybe one of the bigger corporations could offer a dedicated helpline for the elderly to help them get in touch with relatives and friends.
I think though the wider problem for our mental health may be the nebulous one. 'The earth shakes, the sky trembles' writes Joel. I strongly suspect this is not meant literally. I doubt there was a real earthquake. And I've never heard of the sky trembling. Rather it refers to the unfocussed sense of dread that everyone feels when faced with a major disaster. This crisis is made worse because the government is invested in making us frightened. The subtext of all those adverts on saving lives might be 'don't go out or you'll kill someone'. Usually the role of leadership is to calm and focus the efforts of the people. This crisis is no exception, but fear lurks on every doorstep delivery, every assault on the shops, every talk at two metres. It is almost impossible for people not to pick it up and it shakes our lives to the core.
Does Joel have an answer? Well, I wonder. It intrigues me why he assigns all this destruction to the Lord. The classic answer is the presbyterian preacher's rant on hellfire and damnation. Fear the Lord for he comes with fire and an army of warriors. I, for one, think fear of the Lord, as holy awe rather than cringing terror, has an important place in God's message to the world, but I'm not sure this is the core of Joel's message. I wonder whether there is a more subtle message: trust the Lord for he is at the head of this destructive force and receive comfort that even the terrors of the world at their greatest are in God's hand.
I was recently reminded of the Corrie Ten Boom story of the lice-infested huts in her concentration camp. Her companions took it as a curse but she chose to receive it as a blessing, and it soon became evident that she was right. The camp guards avoided her hut because of the lice, which allowed a group of them to read the Bible, to pray and to worship free from fear of discovery. As our world shakes is there any way we can follow her example, to see what others fear is a curse, as a blessing?
I need to be careful here. Putting our whole trust in the living God is often a vital step towards a healthy mindset, but is not a kind of cure-all answer. Often it's a step beyond us here and now, and anyway mental health is almost always much too complicated for a single moment to bring healing. But I am suggested that being aware that we are not alone in this struggle may help us to see a light at the end of a dark tunnel. We are surrounded by people going through the same thing. They may smile and look positive on the outside but it often hides a deep disquiet. They are our travelling companions and we would do well to share our struggles as well as our hopes with them. Not only that but we have a heavenly companion, a loving heavenly father, who, whether we believe in him or not, has not left our side. No amount of COVID-19 can keep Jesus from his place in our hearts, if we but invite him in. 'Behold, I stand, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone would open the door, I will come in'
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| An open door, Riserva Naturale Capo Gallo |
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