Saturday, May 25, 2019

It has recently been Mental Health Awareness week in the UK and hopefully it will have gone some way to enlighten the fear and lessen the stigma that surround conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, stress and other similar disorders. The support provided by the Royal princes William and Harry recently has highlighted the issue of mental health across Britain. Personalities from sport, stage and screen have also been lining up to add their own unique insights into a much-misunderstood part of our human nature. It must be helpful to shine light onto this shadowy area and dispel some of the myths and mistakes that we may hold on to.

Diane and I know too much about this whole area from past experience. Both our mothers needed lots of support and help as they battled with long term mental health conditions. Diane suffered really badly from anxiety and depression for the first 13 years of our marriage, and at various times in my 22 years of serious ill health I have known bouts of depression, paranoia, mental confusion and great fear. Yet, I know that God has been with us through all this and that he understands the unfathomable depths of the human psyche. He made us so he can mend us.

There is a lot of helpful insight in the Bible on this subject, telling us in picturesque language to “strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees”. In the New Testament St Paul writes about his own battle with depression (2 Cor. 1). Jesus also healed the sick, changing lives, and giving a new start to people who had been tortured by years of chronic ill health, urging his followers to receive his love and make it known to others. And he calls his church to be a community of care, understanding and grace that will offer safety, acceptance and patient support to all in need. When that need is invisible or at least non-physical, as in mental illness, then the cost of that care and understanding may be high, but it is a vital part of our calling and mission.

Research shows that during any single week an average 1 in 6 of us will experience some mental health incident. Families, friends and work colleagues will all be affected by this. If we are not suffering ourselves just now, we still owe it to others to show respect, love and understanding when they are overtaken by these marks of our frail humanity.

Jesus said “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest”. Those of us who follow him should also be a means of support to all who stagger under the weight of modern living and its many pressures.

Thursday, May 09, 2019

Liberation Day memories in the Channel Islands

May 9th is Guernsey's Liberation Day and all around the island the people are hanging out their flags to mark 74 years since the end of the Nazi Occupation of the Channel Islands took place.

We went to a country church this morning to give thanks for our freedom with hundreds of islanders. Bright sunshine greeted us as we came out of the ancient building at St Peters in the Wood, grateful for being able sing and worship freely due to the sacrifice of so many. We sang our anthem "Sarnia Cherie" with great joy, despite the tears, and remembered our parents for whom this day was ever one of thanksgiving and memories. Winston Churchill said on the radio on May 9th 1945 "...and our dear Channel Islands are to be freed today!"

Among the many unsung heroes of the Occupation was Rev Gilbert Dunk, seen here with his wife Irene and family. He looked after three Elim churches on the island throughout those dark days, riding everywhere on an old bike with hosepipes for tyres. He cared for the flock of God despite great hardship and deprivation, fulfilling his calling in the most challenging of circumstances. After the war, the Dunk family were asked to go to New Zealand in response to an invitation from a group of Pentecostal Christians there who wanted to set up an Elim church. From his work then the congregation grew till it numbers today many thousands and planted out a further 40 or so churches. A truly remarkable family, they exhibited the quiet and humble faith that helped so many to persevere in appalling circumstances and to keep trusting God when it seemed so hard to simply do that.

Maybe we could learn a few things from their courage and determination to make the best of a tough situation and invest themselves in hope and encouraging others through adverse times.