JOURNAL ~ PsalmsSample

NOTHING BUT DARKNESS - Day 3

Today, we continue our reflection on possibly the most difficult of all Psalms and see that even as dark as it is, is it can be a source of consolation. An Episcopalian priest and theologian by the name of Kathryn Greene-McCreight struggled with mental illness after her second child was born. What began as a postpartum episode became bipolar disorder. She chronicled her story in a book she wrote entitled: Darkness is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness.

In the time of her illness, she asked and searched for answers to her questions, searching through darkness , suicidal thoughts, and even mania. Questions such as: “Does God send this suffering? If so, why? And why this particular kind of suffering? Why, if I am a Christian, can I not rejoice? What is happening to my soul?” (Greene-McCreight, p.12).

In the midst of that dark period she found consolation through Scripture and specifically in Psalm 88. In her words she said: “scripture can be vitally important to the mentally ill Christian. It bears to her not only the voice and will of the triune God but also the community of faith which she cannot often see or feel immediately. Reading scripture is a discipline that at times in mental illness almost impossible and yet remains necessary for spiritual health. Why is this so? Because scripture bears the saving grace of God.” (Greene-McCreight, p.163).

This is the beauty of this Psalm. This is the beauty of our God! Nothing is hidden from Him, and all can be brought to Him. Everyone has a place in Him, even those who are in the darkest times of the confusion experienced in mental illness. Seeing the Psalm from this perspective will hopefully help us understand grace better.