by John Borlik | Dec 21, 2023 | depression, Faith, Hope, Love, Main posts
Introduction:
In the intricate tapestry of human emotions, depression stands as a formidable and often overwhelming thread. For many who grapple with its weight, the quest for solace and understanding extends beyond the realms of the tangible. This article explores the complex intersection of depression, God, and Christianity, delving into how faith can become both a refuge and a source of introspection in the face of mental health challenges.
Understanding Depression:
Depression is a multifaceted condition that affects millions worldwide. It is not merely a transient feeling of sadness but a persistent state that can impact one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical well-being. From a Christian perspective, acknowledging and understanding depression is crucial. In the Bible, figures like King David and the prophet Elijah experienced profound bouts of despair, demonstrating that even the faithful are not immune to the struggles of the mind.
Depression and the Search for Meaning:
Christianity often provides a framework for grappling with life’s challenges, including mental health issues. The teachings of Jesus emphasize love, compassion, and purpose. For individuals navigating depression, seeking meaning in their suffering becomes an integral part of the journey. Some may find solace in the belief that God can use their pain for a greater purpose, weaving a redemptive narrative from the threads of despair.
The Role of Faith:
Faith can serve as a resilient anchor amid the tumultuous seas of depression. Many Christians turn to prayer, meditation, and scripture as sources of comfort. The Psalms, in particular, offer a poetic expression of human struggles and triumphs, resonating with those in the throes of depression. The idea of casting burdens onto a higher power can be a balm for the wounded soul.
Yet, the interplay between faith and depression is nuanced. Well-intentioned counsel to “pray it away” may oversimplify the challenges faced by those with mental health issues. Recognizing depression as a medical condition is essential, and seeking professional help is not a betrayal of faith but a courageous step towards healing.
The Dark Night of the Soul:
In Christian mysticism, the concept of the “dark night of the soul” describes a profound spiritual crisis. This metaphorical journey mirrors the depths of depression, where one confronts inner demons and experiences a spiritual purification. The dark night, as described by mystics like St. John of the Cross, is not an abandonment by God but a transformative process leading to a deeper union with the divine.
Community and Compassion:
Christianity places a strong emphasis on community and the idea that believers are the body of Christ. In the context of depression, the support of a caring community can be instrumental. Creating a space where individuals can share their struggles without judgment fosters an environment of compassion and understanding. The Christian community can play a vital role in dismantling the stigma surrounding mental health.
Conclusion:
Depression, God, and Christianity form a complex triad, inviting individuals to navigate the depths of despair with faith as both a lantern and a lifebuoy. Acknowledging the profound challenges of mental health, embracing the wisdom of scripture, and fostering compassionate communities are integral aspects of this journey. In the delicate dance between darkness and light, the hope emerges that, through faith and understanding, individuals grappling with depression may find not only solace but a path towards healing and renewal.
by John Borlik | Dec 2, 2023 | Bible, Main posts
Mark 9:23 says, “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” These words of Jesus were spoken in response to a father who sought healing for his demon-possessed son. The father expressed doubt in Jesus’ ability to help, but Jesus challenged him to have faith.
This verse reminds us that our faith plays a significant role in our relationship with God. Jesus is calling us to trust in Him, to believe that nothing is impossible when we genuinely put our faith in Him. It calls us to have unwavering confidence in our loving Father, who is capable of all things.
In understanding this verse, we are encouraged to approach our life’s challenges and difficulties with an unwavering belief in God’s power and love. May this verse serve as a reminder that through faith, all things are possible, and that our Heavenly Father is always ready to respond to our heartfelt cries for help.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we come before you in faith, acknowledging that you are the God of all possibilities. Help us to trust in your power and love when faced with challenges. Strengthen our faith and fill our hearts with unwavering confidence in you. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
by John Borlik | Dec 2, 2023 | Hope, Main posts
The presence of troubles and life’s trial often make us ask where is God during this storm in life? Frequently the answers don’t come as fast as we would like or all we hear are crickets. But what we are experiencing is not always what is happening in reality. What is meant by reality is what is happening in God’s world that is the only world we live in. Take a look at your life and many times you will see the Hand of God most certainly brought you through. How else can it be explained? We all can cite times that mere coincidences happened that we cannot explain by our own strength. This is how God’s world works and the fact that the word “coincidence” exists in our language does not mean it does in God’s world. We are told there is a world unseen to us, like microwaves and uv light, that is still working whether we see it or not. So it is with the workings of God’s creation.
What does God say about this? “For I know the right lans I have for you…plans for good and a future and hope. (My paraphrase of Jeremiah 31:33).” The Bible is filled with God’s promises of Him taking care of us! But isn’t our tendency to look at what we are doing instead? How many times do we wonder if we are doing our part? That it’s a type of transaction with our Lord. God’s plans for our lives will supersede any choices we make. We can trust Him. Do we make wrong choices or mistakes or have ill done toward us? Most certainly but God’s world will prevail in our messes. Especially when we have made a shipwreck of our lives is our God working toward a better future. Do I sit back and wait? Maybe. He will open doors and guide us along the path for us for our good and His glory. We can trust Him.
Oh our hearts cry out for the Lord to rescue us and we wonder if He is even listening. He is listening and closer to us then the next plea that leaves our mouth. It is during our valleys that we grow closer in our relationship to Him. He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us. The God of All desires this closer relationship with His masterpieces and we can trust Him. Where are You, God? He is with us every step of the way. We walk to the car- He is with us. We eat a meal and He is with us. We sleep and wake and laugh and cry and He is with us. And He is happy with us and tells us that ALL our pains and tears He will use for His good plan for us. No demons, government, job, loss, death- NOTHING- can separate us from Him. Nothing.
by John Borlik | Oct 15, 2023 | Love, Main posts
In the realm of the heart, a sacred fire burns,
A love that for eternity, in every soul, yearns.
God, the architect of this cosmic design,
Crafted love as the bond that eternally binds.
In love’s gentle touch, we find divinity’s grace,
A reflection of God’s tender and endless embrace.
It’s a bond that unites, transcending all divide,
In the vast universe, it’s love that doth guide.
God is the author of this beautiful story,
Love, the language that reveals His glory.
In every act of kindness, in every forgiving part,
We glimpse God’s essence, the love in every heart.
Love is the answer, the path, and the key,
To find the divine in you and me.
God’s love, the source of all beauty and light,
Guides us through day and guards us through night.
In the symphony of life, love’s the sweet song,
In love’s tender arms, we all do belong.
So cherish this love, both human and divine,
For in love’s sweet embrace, we truly entwine.
God and love, inseparable, hand in hand,
A cosmic dance, an eternal band.
In love, we find God’s presence, so near,
In God, we find love, forever sincere.
by John Borlik | Jul 2, 2022 | Main posts
The journey of changing my mind about God (repenting from the Greek “metanoia”) has been filled with existential angst to uplifting joy and freedom. The black and white thinking slowly dissolves like metal in a glass of water. Yet it is progress. Like the Bible, it is a progression- a slow revelation of God with the full culmination in Jesus Christ (“If you’ve seen me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9).
The non-dual nature of Jesus’s ministry is evident in His critique of the old ways in the Old Testament: “You’ve heard it said…” (see Matthew 5:17-48). Yet we seem to live in a current culture of black and white, them and us, yes or no, racial disharmony, and abusive Earth practices shouting from the rooftops, “I can’t hear You, Jesus!”
The violence in America is atrocious and accepted. Is it any wonder we spend billions on military might to appease our collective ego drive to dominate others?
Yet the false self (mainly ego) obscures the Christ within all. All, as in, all. The Christ is part of the hypostatic union or the joining together in Jesus the Christ (Anointed One); the other part being the historical Jesus. The fully human aspect of the historical Jesus is fully encapsulated with God in the Christ. Is it any wonder Eastern iconography has Jesus holding up two fingers with His right hand? Essentially, Jesus is the microcosm and the Christ is the macrocosm. How do I make this intuitive leap? In part, intuition, and yet that is not rigorous enough to hang your hat on. There must be more. In John 1 we read the mystical account of the apostle Jesus loved which John unflinchingly asserts “that in the beginning was the Word.” It is the New Testament version of Genesis! Mankind is under a new covenantal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
John Duns Scotus, one of the most important and influential philosopher-theologians of the High Middle Ages, was more in touch with the epistles of Colossians and Ephesians. It is hard to say where the Bible will “speak to the Christ” within each person which is one of the reasons scripture is such a dynamic, ancient book that is timeless. These letters saw Jesus as the “first image in the mind of God” (Ephesians 1:3–6, 10–11), which is even further described in the hymn in Colossians 1:15–20. Jesus, Scotus said, was a pure and gracious declaration of the primordial truth from the very beginning which was called the doctrine of “the primacy of Christ.”
The Incarnation of God, in Jesus, offers us the living “icon of the unseen God” (Colossians 1:15), who is the theme for all else (1:16), who integrates all things in himself (1:17), who is the headmaster in a cosmic body that follows after him (1:18). If I might make use of a contemporary image: Jesus is the “hologram” for all that is happening in a holographic, steady as well as repetitive cosmos (1:19). In this holographic universe (Christ-I will elaborate on this topic in future posts) we currently exist as children of God. We have a part, template, in this holographic universe making us all One in Christ. A striking characteristic of this universe is the exact representation of God. Namely, it is both immanent and transcendent. Jesus Christ is the blueprint for all. He does what we also need to do, which is why he states, “follow me.”
Let me end by saying that all the themes of this post will be expanded upon in future posts. With that being said, I would like to conclude with a hymn from Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022), a saint and mystic, revered to this day by Eastern Christians, wrote some words that point beautifully to this new force Meld, that we call the Body of Christ. It is in this cosmic embodiment created by God’s grace and our response to Trinity’s invitation to the Divine Dance. Hymn 15 in his Hymns of Divine Love beautifully names the divine union that all the Bible is forever inviting and edging us toward. Here, in Symeon’s hymn, Scripture has become spirituality:
We awaken in Christ’s body,
As Christ awakens our bodies
There I look down and my poor hand is Christ,
He enters my foot and is infinitely me.
I move my hand and wonderfully My hand becomes Christ,
Becomes all of Him.
I move my foot and at once
He appears in a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous to you?—Then open your heart to him.
And let yourself receive the one Who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love Him, We wake up inside Christ’s body Where all our body all over,
Every most hidden part of it,
Is realized in joy as Him,
And He makes us utterly real.
And everything that is hurt, everything
That seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful, maimed, ugly, irreparably damaged
Is in Him transformed.
And in Him, recognized as whole, as lovely, And radiant in His light,
We awaken as the beloved In every last part of our body.
“Test yourselves: Do you acknowledge that Jesus, the Christ, is really in you? If not, you have failed the test.”
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