Who will hear? (1)
I want to start this week's edition of The Challenger by thanking all you readers 💕 as the first month comes to a close. I hope that the articles have been informative, encouraging and thought-provoking 💭 in order to challenge the way we think. Whether as a believer or as a non-believer, it is our human nature to question 🤔 what we don't understand 🤷♂️. It is why when things happen, our natural response to any given situation is: Why?
True....or False? 👍👎
It is when certain things happen, that not only do we seek to establish the reason (=) but also an explanation 👨🏫👩🔬 and most poignantly, who is at fault 👀 who can be blamed 😠 who can be held accountable 😱 and how?! do we 'justify' this, except by "so it - don't - happen - again".
Fair....or Unfair? 👍👎
Consider for a moment our world view on life and the challenges 🎯 that it puts before us....
Fair....or Unfair? 👍👎
How many times do you hear: "Life's not fair" and do you reading this, agree?
Do we not ask ourselves 🤔 what we could have done different? and what we can do now? However not everything has a simple solution of what we can do 🖐️ when some solutions we can do nothing 🚫. Does that give us peace of mind? 😌 Does that allow us to sleep with ease at night? 😴 when matters are simply out of our control 🎮
It is why we can only empathise with those stressed 😫 and frustrated 😤 and anxious 😬 with what the future holds. These are all symptoms 🤒 when we face difficulties in which we lack control 🎮 and can lead to various mental and medical conditions, because of stress. I have done my research here 💻 to find out more and so I shall name a few:
[ ] Insomnia / Sleeping difficulties
[ ] Depression > Cognitive issues 🧠
[ ] Eating Disorders > Digestive problems
[ ] Weaker immune system to bacteria > Weaker healing process
[ ] Circulatory problems > Blood clots / Strokes
[ ] Problems w/ the Heart ♥️ > Increased blood pressure
To quote from the HSE, "Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave". Therefore if we think 💭 we can do nothing, feel 🤔 we can do nothing and behave (act) in a way that does nothing, we can understand that each attacks us psychologically, socially and emotionally. Notwithstanding the consequences to our physical and mental well-being, all of which have been noted above.
This leads me to the topic that is so far-reaching, that I shall address this in a series. The question coming to me whilst I too raised questions❓on what is happening today.
Q: Who will hear?
(Repeat)
I remember in one General Election here in the UK where the subject of physical health 💪 and mental health 🧠 were the topic of discussion. It concerned the lack of support for mental health patients, as while the physical needs were addressed, social and mental needs were not up to scratch. I can confirm this by even looking at the manifesto promises in 2010 where it was not a concern!
Does this mean that mental health wasn't a thing back then?
Does this mean that support for those with mental health was adequate?
Does this mean that the process of dealing with patients with mental health was not an issue?
Does it mean there was not a high demand for the Government to supply for?
Absolutely not! God forbid as the Apostle Paul would say. I would argue, in light of how complex we are as human beings and the challenges 🎯 we are exposed to, the amount of rubbish 🗑️ we deal with.....we must always be on guard to protect 🛡️ our minds 🧠 and the Bible says as much. Some would argue that the Bible is outdated, but the issues it addresses are very relevant and give practical advice 🖐️ as a GP would.....
Examining the text, I will refer you to a few that I have identified:
- the Apostle Paul warning the Thessalonian Church not to be shaken in mind 🧠, why? Because of those who come to deceive [2 Thes 2:2-3]. Taking from the Greek, warning us to be watchful 👀 of those who will (saleuo) beguile/seduce you with lies, that will cause your mind to be (exapatao) agitated and disturbed; to lose one's happy and secure state 🔐. It is exactly how those suffering from Mental Health feel 🙏 and yet how freely do politicians seduce with lies to get your vote 🗳️. This is not of God!
- the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy his student/son in the faith while in house arrest [2 Tim 1:7]; to have confidence in God because he's given each of us a sound mind and not fear ❌ Yet how many times do we hear of [Project Fear] when it comes to our vote 🗳️. This is not of God! and if you are double-minded, driven by the wind 🌬️ of the times, the Bible says that makes you unstable 🔓 [James 1:8] which is why we cannot have faith in politics! They go with the wind 🌬️ every time!
- Finally the Apostle Peter who Christ commissioned to build his Church ⛪ [Matt 16:18] gives us his pastoral and practical 🖐️ advice to 'gird up' our minds 🧠 and hold onto the hope we have in the end [1 Pet 1:13]. Now from a Christian perspective, our Hope is in Jesus who is Hope and provides Hope, according to His promise of eternal life in the most famous word of scripture many can recite [Jhn 3:16]. It is why as believers, that we want to share this Hope so you can have it too & you can be at peace 😌 and you can have that stability 🔐 which the world cannot provide!
Now I'm not saying the world doesn't try! BUT right now, we are in a crisis 😱 as we journey through this pandemic. So what does Peter mean when he says to 'gird up' our loins? This is a metaphor, according to the Greek Lexicon of this scripture, of when Orientals fastened their clothing with a belt, so that they would not be impeded when they work or travel. The point this therefore emphasises is to hold tight to your mind 🧠 so that no one can take advantage ➕ of you, or manipulate you.
Ever heard or ever said "Stop putting words in my mouth"? 👄 It works on the same principle. Have your own mind 🧠 and be open to others, but not to the point where you cannot speak for yourself or think for yourself.
Q: What can we do?
Well that's the same question we started with. Our natural response is to ponder 🤔on what action we can take 🖐️ & as far as Mental Health goes, the fact of the matter is: nothing is free, even our Healthcare, our NHS and may God Bless each and every one of them! BUT is it enough?
I want to say yes....
I want to feel optimistic that we are good...
I want to not fulfil a stereotype BUT while 2015 improved under Health with Social care recognised by all 3 political parties, Mental Health recognised specifically by Conservatives and Lib Dems (sharing your dismay that Labour did not), the proof is in the pudding.
For the mental health of our young people alone, while funding 💷 increased 👍 not all of it trickled down to those who needed it and those who it was meant for 👎. Don't believe me? Read here. Identifying that the buck 💵 doesn't only sit with Government, but also the NHS 🏥 however I shall clarify that this does not mean the front line workers, but more to do with the bureaucracy involved that control 🎮 the spending £££
I will also clarify that I am not absconding the Government from any responsibility. I shall give them the same heat 🔥 when you read about the effects of the pandemic and the measures recommended to fix it ⚒️. However, it will not solve anything by placing fault on the Prime Minister for the pandemic (even if natural to blame someone), when at issue is the collective responsibility we all hold.
Therefore.... at a national level, the Government are responsible for taking necessary measures 🚧 to protect Public Health 🛡️.... at a administrative level, the manufacturers to supply the ongoing demand 🛒.... at a local level, the NHS to inoculate the nation 💉 and patch up our medical needs 🩹... and at a individual level, to recognise the strain on public service and take caution ☢️
BUT are we? Are we helping the chain 🔗 or are we breaking it? and throwing a spanner 🔧 in the works. Sadly 😔 I must highlight the latter, being exposed to News Articles of individuals and groups breaking the rules 💔 to which they may argue 'shouldn't it be upto us what risks we take?' 🗣️ and I won't argue with that.
Your Free Will 🗽allows you to take that chance 🤷♂️ BUT are you then meeting those who are concerned/vulnerable? are you then seeking medical attention on an already overwhelmed Health Service? or complaining about the Health Service on a cancelled/postponed appointment? are you then anticipating the taking of the vaccine of a virus that you believe is the thing of fairies 🧚🧚♂️🧚♀️? How contradictory & hypocritical is that?!
Now the above may not all apply to you, if any at all, but certainly for some in the world. The point that I am emphasising is how this pandemic highlights how connected we all are....and the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping, that to every action, there is a consequence ⚠️ BUT does this bring back the Christmas spirit 🎄 of peace & goodwill to all men??
-- CHRISTMAS TEST -- NEGATIVE --
(insert Family Fortunes: ❌❌❌)
You would think 🤔 at a time 🕰️ like this, we rally together for the common good but don't! 😔 Why? Pride (the sin that doth easily beset us: Heb 12:1) Explanation? Promoting Self 🥇 Who to blame? Satan
This 👆 would be the spiritual answer (to why we can't come together ❌ the answer to Coronavirus), using the natural formula we are accustomed to. I am 💯 sure that IF you disagree with me, alternative answers will be much more scandalous and attacking individuals BUT the Bible says, it's not them, but what influences them [Eph 6:12].
Why? Because God 🙌 is not in the business of The Blame Game unlike politicians risking our lives ❤️ by controlling 🎮 the vaccine.
It is wrong ❌
It is disgusting 🤮
It is sick - while we face a global sickness!
Q: What is the remedy?
You want the short-answer? GOD & prayer 🙏 which is the stereotype that often attaches to believers. However I hope by seeing what is before you 👀 that I'd rather depend on a 🙏 than wait on politicians and scientists and medical professionals to make up their mind 🧠 especially to kick a fuss over vaccine supply 🛒 of a vaccine not even approved yet 😂
It makes no sense! It is ludicrous!
However we can make some sense of it, as we consider John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the cure - the Lamb 🐑 to be sacrificed ✝️ to take away the cancerous condition of sin [Jhn 1:29]. How far-reaching is His vaccine - "the world" 🌍
Now I'm not saying this addresses this pandemic, but what I am focusing on 🔎 is the word "world", which is Kosmos in the Greek. It is from this term that we get the English word: Cosmetic💄and from that, we think of Cosmetic Surgery 👨⚕️ and Cosmetic products 👜
If you Google it ⌨️ to explore what cosmetic means, it means to restore or improve your appearance 🗿 but it does not change it substantially. Now you may be thinking 🤔 am I really on a beauty course right now? 😂 You will be relieved to know you are not but things are not always as they seem. Cosmetics are a perfect example to illustrate the point, with synonyms such as 'superficial' and 'beautifying'. However most poignant is a Cosmetic Product which conceals a spot that it cannot remove. Such is the same with the world 🌍 as it may look 👀 beautiful BUT substantially, its cosmetic makeup 💄makes it all superficial.
When things do not work out....
When things go wrong....
When life is not fair....
When the guilty walk free....
All of this points ➡️ to the need for improvement ➡️ the need to recoup 'street cred' by restoring the order of things to look good in the public eye 👁️ ➡️ superficial dependence on an imperfect system; a system that tells us NOT to stress 😫 BUT causes it through politics, through lack of support, through empty promises, through messages conveyed by the media 📺
It is why I challenge you that you have nothing to lose by throwing up a 🙏
You ask what you can do ✋and told you can do nothing 🚫 and stress 😫 over it BUT there is a better way...
If individuals will not hear you....
If family/friends will not hear you....
If doctors will not hear you....
If politicians will not hear you....
God will hear you....
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 🤎 🖤 🤍
"Behold, the LORD's hand 🖐️ is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear👂heavy, that it cannot hear" (Isa 59:1)
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you" (Jer 29:11-12)
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"
(Heb 4:16)