Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal trauma. Robin Williams
Meditation: Mental Illness is still something our society does have difficulty talking about. Many have to hide their depression or other mental health diagnosis and pretend all is well. One way of coping is through humor and through acting or playing “the clown”. Being “funny” can serve as a way to remain part of community, as nothing is worse than struggling with mental health and then becoming additionally isolated. Building a relationship with a therapist can be a way to stop hiding. It can be a place to grieve and talk about the traumatic experiences that have happened and the consequent emotional challenges. Finding a relationship that is caring can feel like the image of the eagle hovering over its young. When we reveal our vulnerabilities without being judged, healing can happen. We discover more effective ways of coping than just pretending, using humor or acting. God uses people to emotionally and spiritually care for us. I wonder where we need to be found and attended to? What is our “barren and howling waste or desert”?
Prayer: Gracious God, You are seeking us. We pray for all who are in need for a safe place to heal from trauma – be it abuse, neglect, assault or tragedy. We pray that our society becomes less superficial and sees beyond role playing. Let us all become more aware of our own and others’ mental/soul health needs. Thank you for providing shelter in the presence of those who are trained to be with people who went through trauma. Let us all find healing and relief in our emotional struggles. Amen
In a desert land God found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; God guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. Deuteronomy 32: 10-11
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