At the Tokyo Olympic Games, the world witnessed Simone Biles, one of the greatest athletes of all time, defend not the gold medal but her own mental health. Simone is breaking the silence about mental illness and mental health, and she’s doing it while in the global spotlight. This deserves a gold medal.
Last November I had the pleasure of emailing Clark Williamson to let him know his Chalice Press book Way of Blessing, Way of Life: A Christian Theology had been optioned for a Korean translation. Such translations are relatively rare for Chalice,...
Military chaplains like Father Mulcahy are a walking paradox: a voice for compassion, kindness, and humanity while wearing the uniform of those who are, in the worst of times, directed to inflict damage, show as little mercy as possible, and ordered to forget their own humanity. For those of us who have never served in the military, the closest we can come to understanding a military chaplain’s life is to hear the stories of those who come closest to God walking among us.
“On behalf of a grateful nation…”
These words form the preamble that accompanies the handing of an American flag into the waiting, often trembling, arms of a grieving loved one. It was a powerful symbol. It sought to convey a shared sense of sacrifice on behalf of the military, the service member and the family. This relationship was inextricably forged within the covenant of duty to country. Both the flag folding and the utterance of these words were done with exact precision. Each practiced and perfected movement was a far cry from the often violent way in which war created the occasions for these memorials.
Photo by Ludovic Gauthier on Unsplash
As people of faith, we look to God for comfort to help get us through what I call the “valley of the shadow of mental illness.” God offers us unconditional love, comfort, and hope to get us through the valley. Even though we know God loves all of us, sometimes people with mental illness feel unlovable and wonder if God truly loves them. Some people claim that mental illness results from being cursed by God. I want to reassure you that God loves you! You are not cursed!
Join Chalice Press authors Bruce Reyes-Chow, Sandhya Rani Jha, and Eric Law for a conversation on the Asian American experience today. REGISTER HERE! How has growing up Asian American in America shaped the lives of those living it? In this...
In a year where isolation became a way of life, June 6, 2020, stands out because it’s the day millions of Americans emerged from the safety of their homes and took to the streets to continue the call for racial...
In the United Church of Christ, this Sunday is Mental Health Sunday. Many congregations won’t choose to observe it at all, while a few will have Mental Health Sunday at a different point in the year. However, it isn’t something that should be overlooked or avoided. Church can be helpful or harmful, and our history indicates that we have harmed more than we’ve helped when it comes to mental health. Too many people, even in progressive congregations, still believe that mental illness is a punishment for sin, a character flaw, or evidence of insufficient faith. Isn’t it time we tell it like it is? Isn’t it time we end the silence and shatter the stigma surrounding mental illness in our churches?
