As the writer of Breaking Strongholds, I set out to find “the perfect formula” that communities could use to end the crisis of suicide. I read articles and interviewed clergy and counselors. I talked to parents, siblings and friends who were personally and tragically affected by suicide.
The good news is we can all make a difference. In the series, we feature safeTALK - a proven program that gives people the tools to recognize the signs of suicide and to take action. The safeTALK program saves lives, and we are glad to present it in our series.
But, as you may have suspected, I found no “perfect formula.” No 100% guarantee. Humans are not mathematically “worked out.”
That fact was driven home to me when, with all of my newfound knowledge about suicide prevention, I was faced with a very real and very scary mental health crisis in my own family.
We had been walking the road of depression and anxiety with our child for years. We had access to excellent care. Medications have helped. Therapy has helped. But when a perfect storm of circumstances gathered, my husband and I found ourselves facing a situation far beyond our control.
As parents, we couldn’t understand the intense emotional pain that led to that moment. We just wanted to fix it. We wanted to open our child’s heart and pour in the light that would chase away the darkness. But we couldn’t. And we still can’t. There is only one Person who can bring light into spiritual darkness.
So, the Breaking Strongholds Series and study guide does not offer a perfect formula, but it does point the way to Hope. For the journey there, we need a few things:
We need to speak honestly about suicide. Say the word. Ask the question.
We need to build a network of support in our communities. We are all capable of learning how to be suicide alert and to do our part to help one another stay safe. In the series, you’ll see that demonstrated.
But also, we need to recognize the lies that sound good to “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-5) but can ultimately lead to despair. We do not find fulfillment in “following our hearts” or “believing in ourselves.” It is found in knowing our creator–God: in following His heart and His ways.
We need to know God. But how? Jesus said of himself, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). His sacrificial death and resurrection made a way for us to know God. Understanding that we are fully known and unconditionally loved by Him is foundational for weathering life’s storms. So, finally…
We need Jesus. The people who struggle need Jesus. The people who love the people who struggle need Jesus. Because as John 1:4-5 says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Life. Light. And the darkness has not overcome it.
