After Thoughts: Christ as Alpha and Omega

Christians believe Christ is The Alpha and Omega.  This means Christ is the beginning and the end.  (Revelation 21:6)  So, when I read about the man at the pool of Bethesda in the fifth chapter of St. John, I am challenged more by Christ’s concluding words to this healed man than I am by the actual healing.

            Christ spoke to the man in the beginning.  Jesus questioned him to about whether or not this man wanted to be healed.  But, after Jesus healed him, the man went on his way.  They ran into each other again and Jesus issued a warning.  Jesus spoke some concluding words to him that were a guide for his conduct in the days ahead.

Context

            Often it is preached that this man had a physical illness preventing him from entering the water and being healed.  If you read the text, the unnamed man is surrounded by other disabled persons and has a reason why he couldn’t get into the stirred water to receive his healing.  But, I heard one preacher say this man had a mental illness that hindered his pursuit towards wellness. 

Yet, what Jesus said to the man after he healed him spark my curiosity.  He told the man, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”  (John 5:14)  What was this man’s sin? 

As I study this passage and pondering the effects of mental illness, I am challenged to satisfy my own curiosity.  I have questions about the text, about the man’s “sin,” psychology and theology.  “Hello, Jesus, I need some answers.”  But, I have to admit—this is where I let you down.

            The purpose of this post is not to share my questions or reveal a few answers.  My motive for writing is to clarify a growing belief of mine.  That belief is this:  “We really do know in part.”

Evidence

            Every time the Bible is read, a different lesson and revelation comes forth from its text.  For example, the story of Job brings forth a new understanding each time I read it.  Remember Job is the man who lost his family, possessions and health in a short span of time – let’s say one day.  It is safe to assume he quickly fell into a deep depression and sense of despair after the shock of these losses.  Yet, every time we hear that story and assess it against the backdrop of our own lives, we learn something new about God, Job and ourselves.

            The same can be said for King David.  A man after God’s own heart who committed adultery (at best) with another man’s wife, but also wrote some of the most profound parts of our sacred text known as the Bible.  Every time we examine his life, we discover a new truth, a new way to identify with David’s humanity and a new understanding of the depths of God’s love for us.

Jesus the Teacher
by http://www.kozzi.com/portfolio/index/contributor/2522

            So, why is it that as Christian leaders we think we know all there is to know about the Bible’s stance on mental health matters?  I say, we don’t.

Disease

            In fact, if ever there was an area that needed the combined intelligence of medicine, science, theology and biology, it is when we begin to look at disease.

            As I continue to research, probe and discover what God’s Word says to believers about faith and mental health, I stand in awe of the findings.  On one hand, my heart is saddened by the way we as Christian leaders have overlooked the help offered within the pages of the Bible.  Our closed mind, lazy and lax assumptions about the disease of the mind has been careless and callous.  On the other hand, humanity is known to fear what it doesn’t understand and to vilify what it can’t comprehend.

            Yet, we have reached a place as a society where mental illness cannot be ignored.  Researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists and other professionals are looking at these diseases in all age groups.  Children, teens, young adults and the elderly have been impacted by psychological and biological emotional dysfunction.  What is the church saying to those consumers?  What does the Bible say to the depressed and those filled with despair?

            My research has revealed the Bible has a lot to say.  Although I am encouraged, I am also deeply enlightened, saddened and amazed by both the questions and answers probing my own humanity, mental health, psychological and theological awareness.  These rabbit trail searches are done with an open heart and humble spirit.  They usual end with a deep sense of conviction.

Facts

            What I have learned in the last three years about consumers, like me, that suffer with a mental illness is this:  many of us don’t think we can get better.  Many people have admitted, online, in the comment sections of various blogs and websites that they have been plagued by their conditions for 20, 30 and 40 decades.  When I became aware of the number of people who feel trapped in their despair/condition, I quit reading the comments.  They were too depressing.  I never left believing their was hope for me.

            Christians embrace Jesus Christ as their hope.  But, if we as Christian leaders and ministers of the Gospel are going to help other people, we have to know this one fact:  the diseases known as addiction and mental health tell the consumer they are not sick. 

At the same time, anyone who watches their loved one battle one or both of these diseases is shocked at the patient’s denial.  The family and employers can see the illnesses and experience their consequences.  But the consumer – no light is on inside their brain.  Their brain has been taken hostage, in a sense, by a band of bandits determined to rob the patient of a future.

Concluding thoughts

            How can I take care of myself if I won’t admit I am sick?  I can’t.  Neither can your loved ones.   So, as I use the rigorous honesty 12-step programs say I need to conquer my demons, I must, at the same time, develop a lasting relationship with God.  In this way, and only this way, can I conquer my demons and find my own sense of balance.  Graciously, the Spirit of God that moves within me and my innate curiosity keep me searching for the answers.  But the answers I seek are not just for me.  They are for the families and church leaders that deal with mental health consumers like me.

I ask that you exercise an extra measure of patience towards your loved ones in the same predicament. 

            We, as church leaders and Christians, know in part.  The Bible is full of clues on how to minister to the sick.  If we exercise patience, while continuing to pray, we can minister to needs yet to be revealed.  We can strategically address debilitating thoughts previously unknown.  We can pull down strongholds, demolish illegal spiritual assignments and carry our loved ones, spiritually and physically, into their individual places of healing.

            Trust me, I know many believers don’t understand those who say, “I have a mental illness.”  But our admission is the first step in our healing.  Please refrain from shaming us for our honesty.  Please think twice about silencing us for admitting our particular form of struggle.  And, please, keep supporting us.  We need you in ways you have yet to understand.  Only Jesus knows the beginning and end of our stories.

            Blessings to you and your family.  In Jesus’ name,

M