The apparent suicide of Robin Williams yesterday has once again put the subject of mental illness in the national spotlight. No family that I know of has escaped unscathed from mental illness, but our society still struggles with how to deal with it in our communities. Physical illnesses and injuries are tangible, identifiable things which automatically lead to a response of sympathy and support. While our response to mental illness is improving, it could be better - amidst the outpouring of sorrow about Williams' death, there have still been some remarks in the media which reveal a lack of understanding of how mental illness can affect someone.
The blog of Deacon Greg Kandra has a beautiful prayer about mental illness, based on Psalm 23, which I find appropriate this morning - it is long, but it is worth praying:
"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Although
sometimes we feel we lack everything. Sometimes we cannot see what you
have given us through the lie of what has been taken away. Show us how
to see your blessing. Show us how to see your provision when the world
teaches us an economy of fear and scarcity.
The
Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave
you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
Refresh us, Lord. Let the raging waters be quiet. Let dry pastures be watered. Let us lie down and rest without fear.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
We
so often turn from your path—believing lies about ourselves, about
others, about you; taking on burdens that are not ours to bear;
struggling to entrust you with ourselves, our family, our friends, and
our circumstances. Guide us along your path of trust and contentment.
Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not
be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you
go.”
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
The
valley of depression, the valley of medication, the valley of sorrow,
the valley of pain and abandonment, the valley of past wrongs done to
me, the valley of despair, the valley of derision, the valley of fear,
the valley of waiting, the valley of misunderstanding.
Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of the
valley in which you walk, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will
never leave you nor forsake you.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Although
we sometimes feel abandoned, you have not left us alone. You have not
left us alone with our depression, with our sorrow, our pain, our
illness, our despair, our fear, our waiting. You have not left us alone
with the past wrongs that have been done to us, with the derision and
misunderstanding of others. You have not left us alone. You are with us.
The Lord himself
goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor
forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
With
your rod, you protect us from ourselves. With your staff, you protect
us from the harm of others. Your truth comforts us, as we find our
identity wholly and firmly locked up in you.
Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not
be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Although
we are surrounded by people who do not understand the weight we bear,
the struggles we face, we gather to eat at your table. Although we
suffer ignorant comments, laughter, and sometimes shame—we are worthy to
eat at your table. We can eat our fill—even feast—because you have not
despised us. You have made us welcome.
Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake
you.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
You
have made us worthy. You have made us chosen. You accept us with all
our flaws, with all our illness and frailty, with all our failings. You
have anointed us, us, to serve with you—our cup overflows with joy.
The Lord himself
goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor
forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
Surely
goodness and love will follow us. Surely goodness and love will chase
us down—despite ourselves, despite others, despite our
circumstances—goodness and love, by the power and grace of your Spirit,
have found us. And will never let us go.
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Forever. In health, in strength, in love, in mercy. Forever. Amen.
The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
And
as we rest in that assurance, we pray for those who live without it,
and who live with the pain and stigma of mental illness. We ask that you
would watch over those who live on the street, without the medication
they so desperately need. We pray that you would hold accountable those
systems that have let these precious children of yours down, that have
left them destitute. We pray for those who are in positions of
power—that, as they make policies and work to improve existing
structures of care, they would faithfully and carefully consider the
welfare of those who struggle with mental illness. We pray that you
would prevent us from putting distance between ourselves and those
struggling with mental illness. That you would grow in us the love we
need to take action, and to make their struggle our own.
Comfort
those who live with the darkness of depression. May we be a light in
the darkness for them. Teach us to avoid false cheerfulness, and instead
give us wisdom to know how to help our friends and family who struggle
in this way to come up for air. To see, again, your goodness. Lord,
watch over those who are, even now, contemplating suicide. Stop their
hands. Send someone to intervene.
Guard
our tongues from unthinking and unkind words that contribute to feelings
of worthlessness. Empower us to use our words, instead, to speak for
those who cannot. To proclaim your worth over those our culture
denigrates. To defend the powerless, and stop others from contributing
to the stigma that mental illness so often carries.
Bring
the comfort only you can bring to those who have lost a loved one to
mental illness. And use us to bring comfort. May we, your church, be a
healing presence, a safe community, a strong advocate for the mentally
ill.
Thank you for the assurance that
you do not let go. That you are always with us. May we in turn extend
that hope to every person we encounter.
Amen."
