I found myself being totally transparent regarding my issues being in leadership in ministry and depressed from the pulpit. Diagnosed with severe depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety which resulted from my experience on 9/11/01, I thought it was essential to share that these emotions are real, and yes, present in the church. People close to me have asked me why do I reveal so much about myself and today I believe it’s important to share the reason why. Immediately following the tragedy of 9/11, the psychological community collectively decided to implement the use of the critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) method. Individuals who suffered were advised to join an immediate facilitator led therapy within 24 hours. During the session, we discussed major elements of what we endured and we expressed our emotions. It took me one session to realize this could not possibly be helpful and I looked for a spiritual explanation. Fast forward-I can attest years later, my struggles intensified reaching a boiling point in 2007. It was only by God’s grace that I’ve been capable of coping. As I observed my own struggles, I realized the church was not adequately equipped to deal with people who suffer with issues. Unfortunately, it is those same issues that draws us to Christ in the first place. It is our responsibility as the body of Christ to handle one another with more compassion and empathy but we are not qualified.
However, the church is the best institution to help someone overcome trauma and stress. While we have fallen short in the aftermath of 9/11, we have a second opportunity to show the greatness of God. President Obama announced that the war is Iraq will come to a final curtain call by December 31st, 2011 with the withdrawal of the remaining 41,000+ troops still stationed overseas. Our soldiers will come home with the memories of what they experienced etched in their brains. They will have PTSD, physical ailments and they will be financially vulnerable. The church may not be positioned to handle the physical or financial vulnerabilities but we have the ability to to assist them with dealing with PTSD.
This is our moment. This is our opportunity to show them the greatness of our God. Yes, I still have nightmares, and I still stay awake at night with little or no sleep. But through my dependency upon God and learning coping skills, I have fared better than most. Immediately following 9/11, the church didn’t handle the overload of people who ran to God searching for an answer. Let us not make the same mistake. It is our responsibility to point people to God who will provide us rest for our souls. It is only through Him can a person find peace and acceptance. It is because He assures His children they need not suffer alone, that they can face the worst experience and still survive. People cannot walk that walk alone. They need someone willing to take their hands and walk that dark, lonely road side by side. This is the mandate of the Church. The church has a mandate and the resources from God to honor this assignment. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us for He has anointed us to heal the brokenhearted…
