SuffeRing — Week 8

Depression does not discriminate, and the church should be one of the safest places to speak about it rather than one of the most stigmatizing. This message names the biological, relational, circumstantial, and spiritual roots of depression and affirms that seeking professional help, including medication, is a mark of wisdom, not a lack of faith. From Lamentations 3 , Jeremiah's descent into darkness after the destruction of Jerusalem models two truths: our emotions are valid but not permanent, and with God there is always hope. Naming what we feel opens the door to changing it, and because feelings are temporary, we resolve not to make permanent decisions or conclusions based on them. Jeremiah's turn comes when he calls God's steadfast love and daily-renewed compassion to mind, then preaches that truth back to himself.