Mental Wellbeing in the time of Covid-19 - Easter Reflection
During this Easter break, my thoughts turn to our Mental Wellbeing and as someone who finds Jesus inspiring, I wonder what He did when He faced a time of crisis - is there anything I can learn…
Of course the crisis He faced as we think of the Christian season of Easter, was His journey to the cross - how did He handle it?
The witnesses close to Him at the time wrote: Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:36-39 Jesus is experiencing intense psychological pressure. He says that His ‘soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death’. Before He suffers physically on the cross, He must suffer mentally. Some people are dismissive of mental illness.
‘It’s all in the mind’ they say, as if this makes the pain any less real. At a time when millions of people, including ourselves are struggling profoundly with anxiety, it’s interesting to note Jesus’ four coping mechanisms. Firstly He makes himself vulnerable, identifying His three closest friends and asking them for support. Who is my closest friend? Does she or he know the areas in which I feel weak, vulnerable or scared, or am I putting on a brave face?
Secondly Jesus is highly intentional. He clearly wants to pray in the garden of Gethsemane because it’s one of His favourite, most familiar and tranquil places. When life feels chaotic and out of control it’s important to put familiar frameworks in place. How might I structure my day better to enhance my perspective and increase my peace in this difficult time?
Thirdly Jesus prays with startling self-awareness and honesty: ‘Take this cup away from me’.
Fourthly, He focuses His thoughts on God’s goodness: ‘Abba (Daddy) Father’. It’s all too easy to watch fill our minds with dark thoughts at a time like this as we are bombarded with bad news and fearful images. Jesus faces the facts in Gethsemane, but He also anchors himself in Father God’s goodness, focussing His mind first on God’s love. What lovely and admirable things might I focus my mind upon today?