anxiety

Emotional and Relational Isolation

Since March we’ve had our share of unique experiences: the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, social isolation, constant news surfing, social and political upheaval, etc. These experiences led to a number of social/emotional responses, not the least of which have been significant rises in depression symptoms and suicidal thoughts.

Time magazine related the following:

A pre-pandemic survey of about 5,000 American adults found that 8.5% of them showed strong enough signs of depression (including feeling down or hopeless; loss of interest in things that normally bring joy; low energy; trouble concentrating; or thinking about self-harm) to warrant a probable diagnosis. When researchers surveyed almost 1,500 American adults about their mental health from March to April of this year, that number rose to almost 28%. Even more people—almost an additional 25%—showed milder signs of depression.

JAMIE DUCHARME

These depression symptoms further resulted in an increase in suicidal thoughts. According to the CDC 11% of adults contemplated suicide in June. The percentage of individuals in the 18-24 age group was a staggering 25.5% in June.

No doubt our unique set of circumstances has driven us to emotional, mental, and societal turmoil. We are not the first people to face such turmoil, nor will we be the last. Currently, we are working through the book of Jeremiah at our church. If you’re interested, you can find our sermons on YouTube or Vimeo. Jeremiah’s ministry was more than 40 years long during a time when his nation was idolatrous and immoral. He invited them to repent, warned them of coming judgment, and found stability in his walk with God. As you might imagine Jeremiah was unpopular in his day. He suffered from anxieties, isolation, and persecution. His experience offers us some insight into how we can address our own anxieties and emotions in these days.

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

Jeremiah 15:16.
  • Pursue peace through God’s Word. Jeremiah’s expression of joy in 15:16 is rare in his complaints and prophecies. Most of his prayers are laments and complaints. But Jeremiah found joy in the Word of God. Reading, studying, and memorizing Scripture is the primary means for the follower of Jesus to find peace, joy, and consolation in the midst of turmoil and anxiety. Remember, the news media and politicians are invested in your conflicts and anxieties. I’m not suggesting that you stick your head in the sand and ignore the news, but I am recommending that you spend more time in God’s Word and less time being inundated with the anxiety-driven news cycle around us.
  • Get help if you need it. God’s Word is an effective means for dealing with anxieties and worries, but in some cases you might need more help. If you are overly anxious, suicidal, or experiencing depression-like symptoms, let somebody know. Family, friends, fellow church members, or pastors will be willing to get you the help you need. Please don’t ignore your emotional well-being.
  • Look for someone else to encourage. Maybe you’re reading this and you’re ok. You’ve had your anxieties, but you’re through them. You’re in God’s Word and are experiencing his presence and blessings. Great! Look for someone else to encourage. You may be ok, but not everyone else is. If you are concerned about someone, check on them. Give them a call. Shoot them a text. Visit with them. As followers of Jesus, we are to share one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

If you are follower of Jesus, remember that you are called by the name of the Lord. We will get through this because we have God’s promises and his presence.

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Perspective, Connection, and Gospel are Key Words

Originally published as an op-ed here for the Wilkes Journal-Patriot.

Stay at home orders. Social distancing. MerleFest cancelled. Social gatherings banned. Schools and businesses closed. Church meetings cancelled.

The last few weeks have certainly been eventful. Our current experiences cause concern. Our anticipated experiences in the days, weeks and months ahead could cause fear and anxiety.

COVID-19 has arrived in Wilkes, but how many will be infected? How long will it take before the economy recovers? Will the economy recover? Will our lives ever go back to normal?

These questions permeate our thoughts. As a pastor, I feel it is my duty to have answers and bring hope. But let me offer a confession.

I’ve had plenty of moments in the last several weeks where I’ve felt a mixture of uncertainty, fear, and worry. I don’t offer my perspective from a place where I’ve conquered my anxieties but from a platform of hope and peace.

Solomon, Israel’s wisest king, wrote nearly 3,000 years ago, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad” (Proverbs 12:25). Solomon’s words could not be more prescient today.

Government bans, the panic-inducing news over COVID-19, and subsequent worries breed anxiety, often at a more exponential rate than the virus itself.

Fear and anxiety are enemies that weigh us down. When we are weighed down, we are more likely to live in fear, become depressed, or wallow in negativity. Like Solomon’s original readers, we need a good word. Let me offer three good words that might help make us glad.

Perspective. While these days are certainly unique, they are not universally unprecedented. Humanity has already overcome the bubonic plague outbreaks of the Middle Ages, the Spanish flu of 1918, world wars, and countless natural disasters. This pandemic will pass.

We need to evaluate our perspective. Instead of seeing our situation through the lens of all we are missing, we need to see it through the lens of all we are gaining.

Many of us have been too busy, too frazzled, and too distant from those closest to us. The next month (or longer) will afford us time to pause, rest, pray, and make the most of the days with our families. There may be a lot we will miss during this ban, but we will never forget the time we have with those closest to us.

Connection. People in my church tell me nearly every day how much they miss gathering together. God made us social beings who need each other.

Many of you are missing your normal social interactions. I am as well. But the lack of being in the same space need not keep us from connecting to one another.

Social media, text messaging, phone calls, FaceTime, Skype, emails, notes, and media like the Wilkes Journal-Patriot are all means by which we can connect with others. Make an extra phone call. Send another text message. Facetime a friend or family member. Find ways to connect with other people.

Our connections during isolated days will make our face to face connections that much more meaningful when these days are over.

Gospel. Solomon used the phrase “good word.” In the New Testament the good news is the gospel. The good news that the Bible offers is predicated on some bad news.

The bad news is that we live in a fallen, sinful world. This is one reason why viruses, pandemics, and natural disasters happen. But more importantly, the Bible teaches us that we are sinners. Sin is anything less than what God desires.

Our sin is the bad news, but the good news is that God sent Jesus to die for our sins to offer us forgiveness and eternal life. While our current situation is uncertain, our future does not have to be. The forgiveness offered through Jesus cleanses our sin, eases our anxiety, and offers us eternal life.

My hope and prayer through all of this uncertainty is that these good words: perspective, connection, gospel, will bring us gladness, now and forever.

Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash