Depression is a major health issue for us and there are no easy solutions. I have learnt a little of loving and praying in the midst of a Christian community living in the resurrection hope of Christ.<\/p>\n
Seeing in the dark<\/em> by Barney Zwartz reflects on the resources Christians can bring to\u00a0their struggle with\u00a0serious depression.<\/p>\n Should believers have a better chance of coping with serious depression than\u00a0 those without faith? According to a Christian psychologist, yes they should,\u00a0 because religion is about hope\u00a0 and depression involves the absence of\u00a0 hope.<\/p>\n Although religious belief is not necessarily any defence against becoming\u00a0 depressed, it may provide extra resources in overcoming the problem, according\u00a0 to Christian psychologist Ed Welch. . . .<\/p>\n Welch quotes American Psychologist<\/em> as saying recently that the failure\u00a0 of hope was at the crux of our modern predicament. \u2018\u2018We need to grasp the\u00a0 implications of this conclusion: medication by itself can\u2019t supply hope; trying\u00a0 to think positively won\u2019t do it either; nor\u00a0 will shock treatment. These\u00a0 treatments don\u2019t actually help us understand why we should have hope.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Welch suggests believers benefit from a sure morality and a sense of purpose.\u00a0 He agrees that secularists can certainly live principled and moral lives, \u2018\u2018but\u00a0 it\u2019s less likely that a person will have a clear moral vector or a sense of\u00a0 purpose if they are committed to atheism\u2019\u2019, he says.<\/p>\n He argues that if we include depression in the wider category of personal\u00a0 suffering, then the Bible has much to offer. In particular, it offers hope in\u00a0 the midst of suffering, plus (ideally) a community of care.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more, Seeing in the dark<\/a>.<\/p>\n The importance of\u00a0community for well-being is noted in Sally’s personal and profound reflections, here<\/a>, and in the second of two research projects I commented on in, Marriage + religion = Social capital<\/a>.<\/p>\n The value of a community of care is central to Christians’ discipleship and hence their well-being. Jesus invited people to come and follow him\u00a0and while following him they\u00a0participated as a member\u00a0his community and learned of him and his way of life for the world. May the Holy Spirit heal, empower and sustain us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Depression is a major health issue for us and there are no easy solutions. I have learnt a little of loving and praying in the midst of a Christian community living in the resurrection hope of Christ. Seeing in the … Continue reading