Last weekend, I unfortunately came across an example of the sort of irreverence towards religious sensitivities that the recent #JeSuisCharlie event would have accept as legitimate expressions of freedom of speech.
Statue at Noah's Yard, Swansea
Whilst visiting Noah's Yard, a bar in Swansea, I came across a large statue of the Sacred Heart upon which a gas mask and a sign indicating the direction of the toilets had been hung. My mind was immediately drawn towards Luke 22:63 - "And the men that held him, mocked him, and struck him. And they blindfolded him, and smote his face. And they asked him, saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck thee? And blaspheming, many other things they said against him."
My immediate feelings were not those of anger but sadness so rather than attempt to remove the gas mask and sign, I resolved to write a letter (included below) to the proprietor to try and make him or her understand why seeing the statue of our Lord disposed in such a manner affected me so profoundly. I have waited for a week for a response and, as I have not received one, I have decided to publish this blog post.
Before I wrote the letter, I had to be sure that my objections were reasonable as I began to wonder if I would have condoned the display of a non-religious statue in such a manner. What if the statue had been of a politician, a member of the royal family or a celebrity? I tend to think that had that been the case, I probably would have brushed the display off as being bizarre, possibly distasteful but perhaps legitimate satire, not worthy of a letter.
I do however think there is an important distinction between the statue of Christ on one hand and my hypothetical examples on the other. The first is that the original purpose of the statue, namely religious worship, is being subverted by it's context and adorning and this constitutes at best religious insensitivity and at worst a direct assault on Christian belief itself. I do think God has a sense of humour and I am not adverse to religious jokes or memes which use images of Christ but I believe this instance goes beyond well intentioned comedy. I would certainly support the right of those who were saddened or angered by the mocking of their own beliefs or revered figures to express their opinions.
Secondly, it is my duty as a Christian to stand for Christ and to redress insults against the Holy Name, not just for His own sake but also for the sake of those who "do not know what they are doing": "whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God" [1] and "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap". [2] I would be less concerned if particular Catholic or Christian practices were being mocked or satirised but here it is the person of Jesus Christ who is the target.
Finally, if I remained silent on the matter, it would be yet another instance where such irreverence was left unchallenged. Christ told us that we should "turn the other" cheek but he also asked those who assaulted him at his trail "why do you strike me?". The proprietor may have a right to freedom of speech and expression but so do I and I am choosing to do so in this manner. Freedom of expression is important but it is how we use it that defines our humanity. Why choose to use a freedom which many people throughout the world do not have to mock and ridicule? Though I agree to a certain degree that Christianity is a "soft" and "safe" target for ridicule and mockery, I do not think it is a valid argument to bemoan the apparent bias or fear of those who only pillory certain groups outside of their political, social or moral dispositions. Rather, as Christians, we should ask why people are comfortable mocking and satirising our Faith? I suspect, the answer will be found less in determined opposition based up theological, philosophical or moral precepts and more in our own behaviour and apathy.
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" [3]
As I say in my letter, it makes no business sense to alienate a section of potential customers. Noah's Yard may as well put up a sign which says "Christians are not welcome here". I certainly shall not be returning there until the statue is removed.
Last weekend, encouraged by the experiences of several friends, I paid a visit Noah’s Yard. When I entered, I was greeted with a pleasant and lively atmosphere and felt confident that the venue would live up to its reputation. I was served by polite and engaging staff and sat down with a friend to enjoy a tasty Mojito.
My first impressions of Noah’s Yard were very favourable but they were totally destroyed when I made my way to the toilets and saw a statue of Jesus upon which a gas mask and a sign indicating the direction of the toilets had been hung. I found the spectacle demeaning, upsetting and an affront to my Christian faith.
I do not know your motivations for displaying the statue of Jesus in such a manner but I would like to explain why I and others like me may react to it in such a negative way. The heart of Christianity is a personal relationship with God, particularly in the person of Jesus Christ who we believe became man, eventually giving up his own life so that our sins would be forgiven, winning for us the eternal life to which we are all called. When a Christian sees a statue of Jesus displayed in such a manner, they see a friend who they love and have the utmost respect for demeaned and dehumanised. Can you imagine how you might feel if you came across a loved one (a spouse, a child or a parent for example) who was forced to stand in the corner of a bar with a gas mask on their face and a sign for the toilets at their feet?
I do not think that your motivation for displaying the statue is worth the potential alienation it will cause to others who feel as strongly about the issue as I do, so I hope that you will remove the statue, if not for the potential hurt it may cause then for the sake of your business. Until it is removed, I cannot in good conscience return to your establishment. At your convenience, I would appreciate a reply to my concerns.
Today is "Time to Talk Day", an initiative of "Time to Change" which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and end mental health discrimination. [1] As I have suffered from anxiety and depression for he best part of 20 years, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some of my thoughts and experiences.
This video is one of the best explanations of what it's like to have depression that I have come across (wish they hadn't used a dog though)
A little bit of History
I first began to experience serious anxiety when I was around fifteen years old. I had always been a slightly anxious child - I remember disliking harsh words, confrontation and being afraid of being beaten up - but things began to get worse during the years when I was doing my GCSEs. I had my first minor panic attack when I was sixteen and from then on, I often couldn't eat because my stomach would seize up. The psychosomatic effect on my stomach has stayed with me and at the time it was dangerous because I began to lose a lot of what little weight I had - I left school weighing seven and a half stone. I still find it difficult to remember what triggered these panic attacks; some have suggested that it may have been stress related to school work but I always enjoyed studying and I don't remember dreading revision or exams. At the time, some doctors thought I was anorexic whilst others prescribed me medication for irritable bowel syndrome. I did attend some relaxation classes but they didn't achieve enough to relieve the symptoms.
I suffered my first major depressive episode when I was seventeen and it was triggered my first major panic attack. In the weeks leading up to it, I was unable to control my thoughts and my mind was racing. I wasn't able to sleep properly and I felt constantly nauseous. Things came to a head one evening when I was trying to get to sleep. The racing mind, the sweats and the nervous energy all combined to convince me that I was going mad. The next morning, and for every morning for what seemed like an eternity, my first act was to be sick with stomach bile. I began a steady spiral into despair which would eventually leave me wishing for death - I just didn't want to wake up another morning feeling so low. Thanks to the support of my family and faith, I never doubted that I was loved or possessed self worth. I never took any actions towards that end but it is a crushing experience to wish for death each day.
My recovery process was long and hard. I was prescribed the anti-depressant Seroxat and received cognitive therapy which helped me to understand what was happening to me. I firmly believe that learning about the physiological conditions of depression and anxiety helped me to overcome them because I like to understand how things work. The cognitive therapy also helped me to identify how my thought patterns could bring on panic attacks and contribute to my depression. I began to see how in some circumstances, I would allow my thoughts immediately jump to the worst case scenario, rather than consider more balanced and rational likelihoods. Dealing with the fear of returning to a major depressive state was also incredibly important as I was triggering that which I was seeking to avoid. Accepting that I may never fully recover from depression but that it was possible to live with it was likewise crucial to my rehabilitation. Little by little, I made my recovery; I was able to sit my A-Levels and though I needed to take a year out, I made it to university. Since that time, I have suffered three other major depressive periods, two coinciding with an attempt to wean myself off Seroxat and one whilst undertaking a PGCE course.
Though I continue to have periods of depression and anxiety, major panic attacks are thankfully quite rare but I do get the odd "spike" when I hear potentially worrying news about family or friends. Perhaps my greatest break through is that my appetite is not adversely affected by periods of depression or anxiety - I am therefore able to keep up my strength and weight which helps when I'm in a rut. Exercise and healthy eating is now a crucial part of my daily routine and I usually spend an hour and a half a day at the gym. I also try to ensure I don't get over tired (which is quite a challenge as I often go through bouts of insomnia when I am unable to control my thoughts) and have to be very careful with alcohol - a "big night" can leave me low for several weeks. I have also tried to make more time for prayer, spiritual reading and Mass and have found great consolation in doing so. Just before Advent, I made a retreat to Belmont Abbey and I think I will now look to make regular retreats to take time out and take stock of my situation.
Paradise lost
Having suffered from depression and anxiety for the majority of my life, I find it difficult to remember what it was like to live without it. It necessarily effects my decisions and ambitions and I have a vague sense that in some respects, I am the lesser for it. It has restricted my capacity for thought because I don't always feel in control of my own mental processes and I sometimes lapse into irrationality which only becomes apparent to me after the fact. It is hard to have to wonder how much of my personality is really me and how much of it is due to Seroxat and its side effects. As I am also diminished in my ability to cope with stress, I have to be very careful what pressures I put myself under, especially with regards to work and personal life. When I was younger, I was convinced I would be a "high flyer" with a well paid and important job but having learnt from friends the stresses and strains such positions entail, I know they would be detrimental to my health.
Besides periods where I feel low and anxious, the most lasting effect of my depression is poor sleep and a lack of energy. I am prone to periods where I feel quite anti-social and I often go through frantic periods of mental activity, which I sometimes find relief from through reading or coding.
As a Catholic, the two major vocations are to the priesthood or the married life but I have decided that both are beyond me. I doubt my capacity to be a good priest or husband and father because of the mental fortitude required and because there are times when I feel the need to withdraw into myself and to be alone. The thought of experiencing a major depressive episode with the responsibilities incumbent on a priest or husband and father fills me with dread and as I believe that all dating should be entered into with the possibility of marriage in mind, I am necessarily single. Such decisions do not of course lesson my attraction towards women or my examination of vocation so it always a bitter-sweet when I see a pretty face, learn someone I have affection for begins dating or attend an engagement party, wedding or ordination. In this, I am sometime troubled because I wonder if my decision amounts to a denial of the possibility of God's grace giving me the strength to fulfil such vocations. If it does, it is a serious matter indeed.
Depression and anxiety have been a great test of my faith - at times, I struggled to find God in the midst of my suffering. Why didn't he take this cross from me? What possible good could it achieve? If only I was free of it, I could accomplish so much more.
Paradise regained
It may sound asinine to suggest that there may be any positives in depression and anxiety but after healing and reflection, I finally managed to find them. Despite my initial despair and anger with God, the whole experience has strengthened my Faith. I am able to recognise God's guiding hand in the decisions I made and the people that encouraged me throughout my journey. The suffering aspect of Faith is something I had never considered before my depression and it particularly drew me closer to Christ through his passion and death. I am convinced that the Cross is the only answer to sin and suffering because it leads to the Resurrection. Who knows - if it wasn't for depression, maybe my faith wouldn't have been as important to me as it is now?
I believe that my own experiences with suffering have made me a better person - I have greater empathy with those in pain and I am less judgemental because I recognise that we are not always completely free to make the right decisions when we suffer. Though I don't always show it, I appreciate my family and friends a lot more because I recognise how their support was and is for my own well-being. Indeed, if I hadn't have taken a year out from university, I may never have made the great and lasting friendships I eventually made there or at current workplace. I have found it a privilege to give advice and help to some people who have experienced depression and anxiety for themselves and I now regularly pray for all those so afflicted. My experiences may also have tempered any inclinations towards materialism and arrogance with regards to my own abilities.
I could name point to a million and one little things which, in response to depression and anxiety have given me great satisfaction but a few will suffice. I have already mentioned the gym but (when I'm not injured), I also enjoy running. My love of classical music is in part due to the fact that I asked a friend to recommend some relaxing pieces which I could listen to when I was feeling anxious. The same friend also suggested that I try watching Star Trek when I wanted to take my mind off things because it was often on late at night when I couldn't sleep (As an avowed Star Wars fan I was deeply suspicious of Trekkers at the time but I was soon converted). At my lowest ebb, I found great solace in the natural world, be it in the great outdoors, natural history and animals and such an appreciation is now a vital part of my life.
I'll end this post with an invitation to anyone who suffers from depression and anxiety to seek help. One in four people will suffer in this way at some point in our life so there are more of us out there than you might think. Talking about it is the first step to dealing with it and making a recovery. I would advise against taking medication immediately (doctors seem too quick to prescribe anti-depressants when cognitive and similar therapies should be tried first) but do not be afraid to do so should it be deemed necessary. If you are prescribed medication, make sure you are aware of all the contra-indications first and try and get someone to help monitor you during the process (monitoring and re-evaluation is perhaps not all it should be in the NHS). Please also take a holistic approach to your health - we all need to take care of ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually.
The patron saint of those who suffer from emotional or mental disorders is Saint Dymphna, who was born in Ireland during the 7th century, her feast day being traditionally celebrated on May 15. A Novena for her intercession can be found at http://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-dymphna-novena/
Litany to Saint Dymphna
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, daughter of royal parents, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, child of great beauty of soul and body, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, docile to the lessons of thy pious mother, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, obedient to thy saintly confessor, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, who abandoned the court of thy father to
escape the danger of impurity, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, who chose a life of poverty on earth so that thou might lay up
treasures in Heaven, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, who sought consolation at Holy Mass, Communion and prayer, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, ardent lover of the Divine Bridegroom, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, devoted to the Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, beheaded by thine own father, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, Martyr of holy purity, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, brilliant example of Christian youth, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, renowned for many miracles, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, glory of Ireland and Belgium, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, full of compassion for those in need, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, protectress against all nervous and mental disorders, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, consoler of the afflicted, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, friend of the helpless, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, comforter of the despondent, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, light of those in mental darkness, pray for us.
St. Dymphna, patroness of those who suffer with nervous and mental diseases, pray for us.
That we may love the lord our God with all our hearts and above all things,
pray for us.
That we may hate sin and avoid all occasion of sin, pray for us.
That we may carefully preserve the virtue of purity to our state, pray for us.
That we may receive the Sacraments frequently, pray for us.
That we may obtain the spirit of prayer, pray for us.
That we may be humble and obedient, resigning ourselves to God's Holy Will,
pray for us.
That we may learn to have confidence in God during our afflictions, pray for us.
That we may obtain the grace of final perseverance, pray for us.
In moments of temptation, pray for us.
In times of sickness, disease, war, and persecution, pray for us.
In our last illness, pray for us.
And at the hour of our death, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us O Lord
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us Saint Dymphna, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray.
O God, since Thou didst give St. Dymphna to Thy Church as a model of all virtues, especially holy purity, and willed that she shouldst seal her faith with her innocent blood and perform numerous miracles, grant that we who honor her as patroness of those afflicted with nervous and mental illness, may continue to enjoy her powerful intercession and protection and attain eternal life. Through Christ our
