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christian counseling today
Vol. 21 no. 2
S
ome have said the Body of
Christ is the only army in
the world that shoots its own
wounded and then buries them
before they die. Sadly, this is the case far
too often within our faith communities.
The truth is that in a fallen world, there
are just as many broken, hurting and lost
people outside the walls of the Church
as within the sanctuary. In Matthew
7:24-27, Jesus describes two distinct
foundations upon which to build one’s
life—rock and sand—representing those
who hear and incorporate the Word of
God and those who do not. However, we
see in this passage the tempest still came
against both houses. Believers are not
immune from the storms of life. There is
no guarantee because we profess a faith
in Christ that we will be exempt from
the trials and tribulations that come
with simply being human, including the
ones that can rage through and ravage
the mind, emotions, and the very soul
of a person. It is time for the Church to
stand up and acknowledge the actuality
of mental illness, and we must be willing
to step fully into our God-given role as
ambassadors of reconciliation and those
who help foster healing, restoration,
recovery and transformation.
The statistics and myriad of
concerns can feel overwhelming, even
crushing—depression, anxiety, chemical
and process addictions, psychosis and
schizophrenia, violence, anorexia and
bulimia, personality disorders, abuse,
trauma, PTSD, suicide—these numbers
and descriptions confirming the reality
of a societal landscape that is littered
with tragedy and despair. Yet, we have
been described in Matthew 5:13-15 as
the “salt of the earth” and “the light of
the world.” We are to be a “city set on a
hill [which] cannot be hidden,” and like
a “lamp on a lampstand.” Our prayer is
that in the darkest of hours, the Church
will become the brightest of lights, the
greatest of resources for those who are
troubled in mind and heart, and faithful
emissaries that exemplify a gospel of
grace, hope and healing.
This issue of
CCT
is being published
as we celebrate AACC’s 2015 “Be
Strong” World Conference. We believe
its timely messages on mental health,
suicide and the role of the Church are
critical to the future of Christian coun-
seling and caregiving. Far too many
believers wrestle with unnecessary and,
at times, debilitating fear and condem-
nation when they try to balance a walk
of faith with thoughts and emotions
that seem out of control, dysfunctional,
chaotic and deeply disturbing. They buy
into a false narrative that authentic disci-
ples of biblical truth should not battle
with mental illness and other psycho-
logical disorders. The articles in this
special issue are specifically designed to
address the various factors and nuances
regarding this important theme.
Researcher, Ed Stetzer, provides the
results from his team’s exhaustive survey
on mental illness in the modern-day
church, and Duke University’s Harold
Koenig describes the strong support for
the role of faith in prevention and treat-
ment outcomes that are found in the
literature base. Author and editor, Amy
Simpson, who shares her own family’s
experience with mental illness, chal-
lenges congregations in a passionate call
Faith, Hope, and Love: The Church as Salt and
Light
from the e-team
Our prayer is that in the darkest
of hours, the Church will become
the brightest of lights, the greatest
of resources for those who are
troubled in mind and heart….