Faith and suicide

The recent death of Robin Williams brought the tragedy of suicide to the attention of the country — at least for a moment.

We still find it extremely difficult to talk about.

A television tribute to Williams recently did not even mention how he died, thus losing an opportunity to say something meaningful to millions of viewers.

At a funeral I attended not long ago for a teenager who took her own life, no one addressed the issue of how she died. With a hundred young people there, I wanted to stand up in the back and yell, “We need to talk about this!”

I wrote something in our parish bulletin after Williams’ death. That very day an old friend in western Iowa was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Suddenly, suicide was not an “issue,” but a personal loss. People I care for deeply are devastated, and a good man is gone from this world. Why? Does it have to be so?

There was a time when those who took their own lives were not buried in church cemeteries.

That was when people knew little or nothing about depression, addictions or other mental illnesses. We still have trouble accepting the fact of mental illness or understanding it if it is not part of our own experience.

One friend who has experienced such pain says she has a “wall” in her life. On her side of the wall all is darkness. The light is on the other side, but she does not know how to get there. She is a woman of faith and intellectually knows there is light on the other side — and even within her. She does believe God is with her.  But she cannot easily feel any of this, and the darkness constantly threatens to overcome her.

Humans frequently think things are hopeless because we don’t personally have the answers. We need to reassure one another that there is hope beyond our limited sight.

There is light, and the wall is not an insurmountable barrier. It is OK to turn to doctors or counselors or clergy for help. An illness is an illness, whether physical or mental. It should not be a cause of shame or silence.

We can do something about it. And we can surround one another with care and concern so no one feels isolated, abandoned or alone.

Christians have the example and presence of Jesus, who especially reached out to those in physical, mental or spiritual pain. His ministry was to those who were “lost” for whatever reason and those pushed off to the fringes of society. His love still has that outreach. The efforts of his followers should do the same.