A WORD TO THE WISE: illness

Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts

Monday, February 16, 2015

THE BIPOLAR PROPHET

In the final chapter of his epistle, the author of the book of James talked about the power of prayer.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5: 16)

For the righteous man who best exemplified effective and fervent prayer, James chose the Old Testament prophet Elijah. But, James’ description of Elijah didn’t concentrate on Elijah’s effectiveness, his fervency, or his righteousness. The focus was on Elijah’s ISSUES.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5: 16-18)

Like all of us, the Elijah had issues. Elijah’s specific issue was that the prophet was bipolar.

The Mayo Clinic website provides the following definition:

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts in the other direction, you may feel euphoric and full of energy. Mood shifts may occur only a few times a year or as often as several times a week.

Now read back through 1 Kings 18.

Elijah got all up in King Ahab’s face and said, “I’m not the one causing trouble in Israel. YOU’RE the one causing trouble in Israel! YOU. YOUR WIFE. YO’ MAMA. AND EVERYBODY IN YO’ HOUSE!” (1 Kings 18: 16-18, “slightly” paraphrased)

In verses 19-24, Elijah challenged 850 pagan prophets to a winner-take-all pray-off in front of the whole country.

Elijah prayed down fire from Heaven.

He incited a violent uprising against the pagan priests favored by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. (verses 36-40)

Afterwards, Elijah told the king, “Bro, you better grab a snack cause I’m bout ta’ bring the rain.” (verse 41, paraphrased)

And then, after giving Ahab’s royal chariot a head start, Elijah outran the chariot--- on foot!

So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” … Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. (1 Kings 18: 44-46)

That’s about 30 miles by Route 66 in Israel. On foot!

Wow! Just wow! 1 Kings 18 was the greatest emotional high of Elijah’s prophetic career.

And the opening verses of the next chapter, immediately after all of this, is Elijah running away, all the way out of the country, dropping off his assistant, and going off into the woods to sit under a tree and think suicidal thoughts. (1 Kings 19: 3-4)

Elijah’s suicidal depression was triggered when Queen Jezebel threatened his life (verses 1-2)--- which, given Jezebel’s well-established record of systematically killing off all the Jewish prophets she could find, shouldn’t have been a shock to Elijah, especially after Elijah had 400 of her favorite pagans killed.

Elijah’s feelings were not rationally proportionate to the situation. But, depression isn’t proportionate or rational. Depression is all-consuming.

By fleeing to Judah and then leaving his servant in Beersheba, Elijah isolated himself.

An angel made Elijah get up and eat only to come back the and find him again still curled up alone and not eating. (verses 5-7)

Even, after 40 days, when Elijah had made his way to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of the Lord, where God was going to speak to him, the prophet was still in a deep, dark emotional place.

Twice, God asked Elijah, “What are you doing?”

Twice Elijah, gave the same pitiful answer:

“I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” (1 Kings 19: 10)

From hyper, chariot-racing, rain-bringing, fire-starting champion, to suicidal, emo, repeating-himself basketcase.

Elijah was bipolar.

Point?

1) Mental illness is not a sin. Elijah was bipolar, but he was also the New Testament example of a righteous man whose prayers God heard and answered.

2) Your “issues” don’t have to keep you away from God. Elijah prayed while he was suicidal, and God answered.

3) The absence of an immediate answer doesn’t mean the absence of an answer. Elijah was out in the wilderness, under trees, and in caves for over 40 days before God spoke to him in the still small voice that showed the way out.

4) Your issues don’t change your calling. After 1 Kings 18 & 19, Elijah was still bipolar, and he was still the great prophet of Israel. The Lord sent Elijah back to do the exact same work he had run away from.

The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came. (1 Kings 19: 15, NIV)

Dealing with your mental issues will make your ministry even stronger. After this episode, Elijah went on to anoint two kings (different countries) and his own successor, whom Elijah personally trained and left with a double portion of spiritual power. (2 Kings 2)

5) Your “anointing” doesn’t fix your mental illness. I repeat: You may be genuinely called, anointed, and gifted for a great spiritual work; and still need outside help with your mental health issues.

In 1 Kings 19, God sent a mighty whirlwind, a great earthquake, and a consuming fire; but after all those miracles Elijah still had the same depression-driven answer to the question: What are you doing here? (1 Kings 19: 11-13)

Which brings us to the final point.

6) If you are a man or woman with issues like Elijah, or any other mental health issue, keep praying mightily for others, but also GET YOURSELF SOME HELP.

The still small voice of God commanded Elijah to stop isolating himself. God told Elijah to get help from Jehu of Israel, Hazael of Syria, and Elisha of Abel Meholah; and God referred Elijah to the 7,000 member sons of the prophets support group. (verses 16-18)

Of all the mighty men and women of prayer in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit told James to write about Elijah. That wasn’t an accident.

Learn the lessons of the bipolar prophet.

This post expands on my notes for the sermon “Plans & Issues.” Click here to listen to the complete message.

---Anderson T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama; executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO); and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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Sunday, July 27, 2014

HANDICAPPED PARKING

My wife Sheila will not park in a handicapped spot. She won’t sit in a wheelchair, nor will she lean on someone else’s crutches or cane. She has this semi-superstition that if she acts like she needs the help then God will make it so she really needs it.

Other people don’t share Sheila’s apprehension----like the driver in the picture above. I think that if you asked the driver why he took the handicapped spaces, he’d say what an associate once told me when I asked why his able-bodied tail parked in handicapped spaces.

He said, “It’s a good spot, and I’m in a hurry.”

And that’s why King David of the Old Testament parked in a handicapped spot.

Let me explain.

In 1 Samuel chapter 21, David was a fugitive from his jealous and homicidal king. David had loyally served King Saul, protected Saul’s kingdom as an elite soldier, ministered to Saul’s distressed spirit as a musical therapist in his court, saved the king from assassination on at least 2 occasions, befriended Saul’s son, and --- by Saul’s own arrangement--- married Saul’s daughter. Still King Saul wanted David dead, so David had to leave town. In fact, David had to leave the country.

Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. (1 Samuel 21: 10)

Gath was Goliath’s hometown. You know--- Goliath, the giant, champion of Philistia, blasphemer of God; David hit him in the head with a rock and cut off his head. That Goliath. That Gath. (1 Samuel 17)

You wouldn’t think that David would find a safe place in Gath, having decapitated their local celebrity and all. But Saul was closing in and David was in a hurry to find sanctuary. So, David found a spot for the handicapped.

So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. (1 Samuel 21: 13)

David feigned mental illness. He pretended to have a cognitive disability.

He played crazy.

And they let him stay parked in Gath.

Then Achish [king of Gath] said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Samuel 21: 14, 15)

Instead of bringing David into his house (in chains), Achish told his people to leave ole’ crazy David alone.

Cause ancient peoples (pagan and Jew) kept reserved space for the mentally ill.

Long before researchers began to understand the true nature of mental illness, God understood. Long before advocates began to call on societies to stop mistreating those who used to be called handicapped, God had already codified special protection for them in His Word.

You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:14)

Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen. (Deuteronomy 27: 18)

Supposedly religious people (including supposed Christians) have in various times and settings horribly mistreated the disabled, and done so in the name of God. But God Himself---- God has always been in favor of towing the non-disabled guy double-parked in the handicapped spaces.

David wasn't really disabled, so he didn’t stay parked in Gath very long. 1 Samuel chapter 22 says that David moved to a non-handicapped space in Adullam. It wasn’t as close a space. In fact it was way out in a cave. (1 Samuel 22: 1)

David, a student of God's Word, understood that YOU AIN’T SUPPOSED TO PARK IN HANDICAPPED SPACES.

God wants and expects us to set aside space in our land and our resources for those with special needs, i.e., the especially needy.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.

And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19: 9, 10)

As Jesus said in Luke 14: 13, 14,

“When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

In His Word, God is up front that when we set aside those resources, someone will exploit the system. Somebody who isn’t disabled will park in front of the wheelchair sign. Somebody who could have a job will choose to draw unemployment. People will park in the fire lane when nobody’s even on fire.

It's gonna happen.

Set aside the space anyway.

David’s playing crazy did not invalidate God’s Word in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. And, none of the very real abuses of charitable systems invalidate our obligation to care for those who are especially needy.

Just cause some jerk double-parks in the handicapped spot doesn’t mean you take down the signs.

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3: 17)