July 28 - Wrestling at the River: Transformation & Grief Week 4: Depression

Wrestling at the River: Transformation & Grief
Week 4: Depression

One of the aspects that we need to focus on this week is that these are stages of grief.  It is normal and healthy that one moves through these stages when one grieves. It becomes unhealthy and even destructive when one gets stuck in any of the stages. And probably the most destructive phase to get stuck in is depression. Let me be clear. There is a marked difference between the sadness and even feelings of hopelessness associated with grief and the medical condition of depression. They are different, though related. Hopefully, the experience of this stage of grief can help us sympathize and understand those for whom depression is an illness and a lifelong struggle. As we explore the stages of grief and seek a vision forward, it is in solidarity and shared experience that strengthen us.

My theological guess is that Jacob’s whole story about wrestling at the river is a description of his depression. He had lost all reason to hope that Esau would reconcile with him. All Jacob’s tricks wouldn’t get him out of the next day’s interaction.  The long, dark night. The self-imposed isolation.  The wrestling and fighting. The wounding. These are all descriptions of what one might feel in the midst of depression.

Those feeling are also described quite articulately by Kevin Breel in a TEDx talk on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3yqXeLJ0Kg This is clearly an explication of the experience of depression as an illness. Yet he opens a window on its depth, its stigma, and the power of truth and acceptance. He also proclaims that it is in standing together that we gain the strength to overcome. It is my intent to run his entire talk in the Gathering.

And this reminded me that we have persons in our family that deal with this quite intentionally. Kim and Anita Brown have trained for L.O.S.S. (Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide). Their training has prepared them to meet with those at risk of suicide, offering understanding and most importantly (says Anita) hugs. Kim has already gone out on such a call. They have agreed to dialog with me on Sunday about what they do, and more importantly, why they decided to do this.

So, the heart of Sunday’s Gathering is that we all experience bits of depression. Some of us experience it in grief. Some of us wrestle with it our whole lives. Yet whether in grief or life, when we stand together and support each other, the sun rises and we get blessed and we have a new life to live.

So I see a fairly simple outline for Sunday:
                Our beginning pieces
                Scripture reading: Genesis 32:22-30
                Reflection on the scene as depression
                Kevin Breen’s video
                Song
                Dialog with Anita and Kim
                Community Prayers
                Communion
                Song
                Blessing and Sending