Did you know that psychiatric medications have the power to raise the dead? I am a witness! It is my testimony that we can find new life with the help of anti-depressants, hospitalizations, and outpatient treatment. I am here to glorify God, rising from the tomb of trauma through the power of ongoing therapy.
Resurrection comes to us in the form of recovery and treatment for mental health conditions. This is the good news: there is help and hope for people living with mental health challenges and illness. As the Church, we can proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: there is no shame in being who we are, no matter what our mental health status might be on any given day, because we are created in the image of God and God loves us.
People living with mental health challenges and their loved ones are Easter People. We are people who have been through the valley of the shadow of depression. We have carried the cross of mental illness. We have laid in the silent tomb of suicide loss. And, by God’s grace, we rise from the grave of despair and into a hope-filled new day.
Our world is hurting emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. It is the Church’s mission to respond to the world’s profound pain with ministries of healing, wholeness, and love. The Spirit calls the Church to embody the resurrection power of God by creating communities of welcome, inclusion, support, and engagement for people with mental health challenges. Working together, we can dismantle the stigma and shame of mental illness.
I continue to give thanks to God for the UCC Mental Health Network’s ministries, showing us all how to become WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) for mental health, providing support and training for faith communities. Blessings to you, dear Easter people of God. Be the WISE people of God. Go live the resurrection.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund (she/her/hers)
Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund (she/her/hers) serves on the national staff of the United Church of Christ as Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice. She also serves as senior pastor of First Congregational UCC of Indianapolis, IN. Sarah is the author of the acclaimed and best selling books “Blessed Are The Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family and the Church“ (Chalice Press, 2014) and “Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness and Marriage (Chalice Press, 2021). She blogs at www.sarahgriffithlund.com.