Jesus, Compassion, & Mental Health

                                         Gadarene Swine -- Derek Clarke

 Then they arrived at the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on shore, a man from the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had not worn[e] any clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me,”  for Jesus[ had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.)

                                   Luke 8: 26-29 NRSVue

We were away last week with friend whose opinions and outlooks we value. She is a physician and at one point we chatted about Medical Assistance in Dying, an option in Canada for nine years now. We agreed that our medical systems falls short in addressing the needs of those with complex health issues and that MAID shouldn't be the considered the only alternative for desparate persons. 

We also shared strong reservations about providing MAID to those who are mentally ill, even though the pain for sufferers can be excruciating. These indiviudals can end up isolated from just about everyone, including those who care for them as family and friends. 

When I saw the gospel reading from Luke for today it brought our conversation to mind. While this story of a man possessed by demons may seem to be a primitive outlook on mental illness it is a vivid description of someone ostracized from his community, the object of fear and prejudice. 

I think back through the decades to those dealing with mental illness to whom I provided pastoral care, often to no avail -- or so it seemed. A few were Institutionalized and at times it seemed as though they were possessed by darkness. There were even some who took their own lives and I felt helplessness and defeat. 

A pastoral care co-worker tried to support a friend who became increaslingly ill and unreachable until she died by suicide. My co-worker's comment was that for all our advancements in treatment for mental illness it did seem as though her friend was plagued by demons, even if that was metaphorical.  

For me the key in the story from Luke is Jesus' compassion and willingness to take the risk of encounter engaging in healing. We don't know whether the miraculous restoration of mental health for the man was permanent but in the moment relationships were restored.  

I'm not sure how this translates into our "modern" sensibilties yet Chrstian communties are still places where support and love can be demonstrated in so many ways. I do think we need to be vigilant in Canada as the proposed changes to MAID legislation regarding mental illness have been postponed but not rejected.