Ladies… gentlemen…
this Twitter account exists.
Because that student exists.
Not just online… but likely right under our noses.
It’s not always anonymous depression. There is probably someone in your contact list who when they call you know it’s going to be a long conversation. You may even find yourself wondering if you can do any good about it… or if you want to do any good about it.
Relevant Magazine recently published an article called “4 Myths Christians Need to Stop Believing about Depression.” In summary:
- Myth: Depression is a faith issue – “Depression has nothing to do with a lack of faith. In fact, for me, it has been the catalyst for even deeper faith. Because some days, in the hardest moments, faith was the only thing I had.”
- Myth: Depression can be prayed away – “I believe in prayer, and I believe in a God who can heal all things—in fact, I genuinely believe it was His hand that lifted my depression. But freedom from depression requires prayer and treatment.”
- Myth: Depression isn’t physical – “There are many causes to depression, and whether it’s rooted in trauma, hormones or stress, it almost always affects our body.”
- Myth: Depression shouldn’t be talked about – “Scripture is filled with passages of men and women who have struggled through the pit of depression and their response was to cry out!”
Some youth workers know this pain. Shawn Harrison nailed it a few weeks ago in his article “Confessions of a Depressed Youth Worker.” Maybe the hurdle is we feel so stuck in our own stuff that we don’t know how to help students with their stuff.
Or… maybe we’re in over our heads… even though there are resources that we can tap into to help students “journey to freedom.”
Maybe it’s easier for us to plan the next big event for the masses than it is to “leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep” until we find it.
(Perhaps we’d like to do that, but it would go against what constitutes as success in our churches.)
What next?
That Twitter account exists.
Because that student exists.
This is youth ministry.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ (Mark 25:42-45)