When Understanding Falls Short - Faith, Fear, and Mental Health
They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. – Mark 5:15
In chapter five of Mark’s Gospel we come upon the gripping story of Jesus healing a man who is possessed by a legion of demons. The man’s behavior has resulted in him being cast out of the community, living among the tombs, unable to control himself or be controlled, even by chains. Jesus comes along and, with a word, restores the man to wholeness. You would think this would be a cause for rejoicing among the people in the neighborhood. One of their own had been restored to the community. What a tremendous gift!
Except, somewhere along the line they had stopped thinking of him as one of their own. He had become a problem. He had become someone known by his affliction. In fact, biblical scholars tend to refer to him as “the Gerasene demoniac.” That’s who he is. That’s all we are told about him.
What the people in the neighborhood knew is that this man had an affliction that they could not explain or solve or get under control. Whatever was going on with him was frightening to them because there was a power in it that they did not understand. When Jesus healed him, rather than finding that comforting, they were afraid, because they realized that Jesus must also have some kind of power that they did not understand. The whole situation was just easier when the man was an outcast.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health is a rather broad term that encompasses all sorts of things, from a proper work-life balance, to illnesses that require hospitalization, and everything in between. One thing this broad category has in common is that there are some fundamental things we simply do not understand about mental health, and our temptation in the face of that lack of understanding is to treat it as a matter of character and tell people to get it together or we will have no choice but to cast them out of community.
The great gift of the Gospel is the truly stunning promise that you are defined now, and for all eternity, by one thing. You belong to Christ. That is the deepest truth about you. That is the eternal truth. As we go through life grappling with all sorts of things we do not fully understand, as we seek to understand our own minds and tend to our own mental health, as we reckon with how to care for neighbors whose mental health is suffering, we do all of that within the sure and certain hope that every single thing that afflicts us is passing away, and in its place is nothing less than the life and righteousness of Christ Jesus.
The stigma that all-to-often gets attached to mental un-health has no place among the redeemed of Christ. It is no greater and no less than any other affliction. We bring all the wisdom of the world to bear in responding to mental un-health. But as in all things, we know that the wisdom of the world is limited and shifting. What is sure and steady is that Christ is redeeming every part of you. What you’re proud of. What you’re ashamed of. What you hide. What you put on display for all the world to see. Every bit of you belongs to Christ. Nothing is going to change that.
Mental Health Resources
Mental health struggles are more common—and more treatable—than many people realize. Here's how to recognize the signs, overcome barriers, and what to expect after taking the first step. Read More >>
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LCMC Service Coordinator Julie Smith is a life-long Lutheran. Her main hobby is running around to whatever activities her seven nieces and nephews are involved in. She is a sports fan, and while high school football is a favorite, NBA games featuring any former Minnesota Timberwolves are a close second. Like all Minnesotans, Julie believes as many summer days as possible should be spent at the lake, with the Twins on the radio. Please don't ask her about the Vikings.
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