Silent Cries

It was a week ago that I talked to two people who were surprised that I said that Christian people can experience depression. This was about two months after having a similar conversation with another church member. Everyone who you see in church is NOT okay, and many are hanging on by a thread. I’ve been there more than once, and I thank God for the people whose eyes, ears, and hearts were open to me because I needed their love and support to get back to wholeness. I continue to be concerned about church people who aren’t aware of the very real problems that people within the church have. One person even asked me if church people are really saved if they get depressed. You may be cringing just as I am when I was asked this. As I’ve written in other pieces, here’s where I see where we are. There are people inside the church who are bleeding, and they cover it up possibly out of pride or out of a feeling of being invisible. They come week after week with wounds that don’t get addressed because depression is often the white elephant in the room that is rarely addressed. I am screaming that we have to do better as a community of believers. Key word: community. People inside our camp are hurting yet we don’t see them. People are crying silent cries yet we don’t hear them. What happens to where we should be heading as a body if we don’t confront where we are individually? What happens if we fail to put support systems in place now to help our members heal? Mental health awareness is as important as spiritual growth, but I am concerned we will lose more in both areas if we don’t open our eyes and help people grow both mentally and spiritually healthy. This piece is not to place the bulk of the responsibility on the church or its members and leadership. It is to prayerfully open up a conversation about what to do about the very real issues that impact us both inside and outside the church walls.