Scribblings – Mental Freedom
This is my new blog. I am a 3rd year seminary student fast approaching graduation, and it has only recently occurred to me that my former and current career choices are colliding right before my eyes – psychology and religion. So, I thought I would start a blog where I could begin to record some of my crazy thoughts that reflect the intersection of religion and psychology. I see these intersections everywhere.
Here is a story…
A 56 year old woman comes to church for the first time in about 30 years. Her husband just left her for a 30-something year old and quite frankly feels like her world has just flipped upside down. She ruminates over the fact that she gave her husband everything for 33 years and he seemingly threw it all away for something more appealing. She lands in church because she is searching for answers. Searching for answers when she isn’t really sure what the questions are. It never crosses her mind to call a therapist. That isn’t in her tool belt of solutions. But she remembers the church of her childhood and remembers the stories of Jesus being compassionate, full of grace and mercy. That is what she is searching for.
I see the intersection of religion and psychology as an untapped frontier, which needs to be a more prominent focus of churches. As our world struggles to find meaning in the day to day difficulties, churches need to be ready to help folks cope. The message of compassion, grace, and mercy need to be at the forefront of what we preach and teach. The message of Christ in solidarity with humanity allows us to see the image of Jesus from a new perspective; the human that shares our pain, our suffering, that knows what it is like to be treated unfairly. This is the kind of Jesus to whom we can all relate. Jesus speaks directly to our mental health as much as to our spiritual health every time He describes how we should treat one another, love one another, and live in harmony with one another. In Christ, we can know real peace of mind. We can see the shackles that bind us with fear, hatred, pride, greed, and the like, fall away from our hands and feet. It is through Christ that we are able to renew our strength to live into real mental freedom.
“So, if the son (Jesus the Christ) makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
SCRIBBLINGS 