Darkness Is My Only Companion

In addition to raising kids and cats, helping at school, pharmacizing, and turning the lights off around my home, I also volunteer a couple hours a week to organizing and maintaining our church's library. So, when not reviewing good children's books in this space, I will occasionally put in a plug for something I come across while dusting shelves over at the church.

I just finished Darkness Is My Only Companion (subtitled "A Christian Response to Mental Illness") by Kathryn Greene-McCreight. This slim volume takes its title from the final line of Psalm 88. In it, Greene-McCreight shares her personal experience with manic-depressive (bipolar) illness. A theologian, her book is full of quotes from the Psalms, Job, the New Testament and the Book of Common Prayer, as well as Spurgeon, Christina Rossetti, John Donne and William Cowper. She importantly reminds us of the contributions made by those with depression and other mental illnesses including Van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, John Bunyan, Charles Dickens and Handel.

Given that 1 in 4 of us will experience some level of mental illness at some point in our lives (www.nami.org) it is crucial that the Christian church begins to learn a better response in dealing with these issues. As life becomes more chaotic, difficult and even dysfunctional, depression and anxiety are on the rise. This is to be expected biblically as we exist in a fallen world and our society moves farther from its Creator. (Christianity Today magazine also gives a review of the depression epidemic in their March 2009 issue, www.christianitytoday.com.)

Greene-McCreight also gives wise counsel for those seeking helpful therapy. Having worked with both secular and Christian therapists she suggests a careful interview process to find a professional with a compatible world view. She makes an interesting argument that seeing a quality secular therapist could be the modern equivalent of Moses and his Israelites spoiling the Egyptians of their gold. A sort of "take the good and leave the bad" philosophy, or a twist on Augustine's "all truth is God's truth." Again, she cautions this is only true as long as the counselor respects your religion and world view.

Greene-McCreight's book is helpful for those who want an intimate picture of what mental illness looks and feels like, as well as a scriptural review of the anguish many Bible characters poured out to God. We are still a long way from defining the fine line one must walk in terms of therapy and medication, but this book can help Christians begin to overcome some judgmental attitudes towards the agony many suffer and the therapies they choose.

Lord Jesus Christ, you are for me medicine when I am sick;
you are my strength when I need help;
you are life itself when I fear death;
you are the way when I long for heaven;
you are light when all is dark;
you are my food when I need nourishment. (Ambrose of Milan, 340-397)