Current Events Monday: Simone Biles and the National Conversation about Mental Health

James Hassell   -  

Simone Biles’s withdrawal from some Olympic events certainly ratcheted up some cultural conflict in America last week! From reading hateful messages on social media to hearing people yell at each other on radio and television talk shows, I could not seem to escape the visceral tongue lashings being dished out from all points of view on this issue.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s sermon, Biles took some actions that seemed to hit at a core, raw nerve of most Americans—the nature of competition, overcoming obstacles, and victory over opponents. We also learned however that the Apostle John’s take on how to overcome challenges in life is a wee bit different than the one engrained so deeply in our society (1 John 5:5-12).

Which leads us to another issue that many people arguing over the Simon Biles controversy seem to ignore or at least push to the periphery of conversation: mental health. Biles said in an interview that she needed to work on her “mentals,” meaning that this is the core issue of the moment for her. Let’s focus then on this much needed portion of the conversation.

I’m no expert on mental health, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Not only have I gone more than a few rounds with the nemeses of depression and anxiety, but I have also ministered directly to uncounted people whose sadness and melancholy have taken a dark turn. I propose that the conversation about Biles would be much different, and perhaps more coherent, if we pondered anew some of the complexities of mental illness. Here are some points to consider that may season your next conversation about Simon Biles or mental health with some salt (Galatians 4:6).

  1. Some of the “strongest” leaders you know from history have struggled mightily with depression. Winston Churchill likened depression to a “black dog” that constantly followed him. According to his wife, Churchill would fight lengthy bouts with depression, oftentimes isolating himself and withdrawing from all activities even at the height World War Two. Consider also one of the most effective preachers in modern history, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Spurgeon called his depression “the black crow,” and his congregation allowed him to spend weeks away in the south of France each February in order to escape the dreary British winters and to come back rejuvenated. And then, there is Jesus himself. Our Lord was no stranger to fright and being downcast. He would sometimes even get away for days and nights on end to pray and seek solace during what must have been a punishing schedule and rigorous earthly ministry. We can be sure that Jesus knows all our troubles (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15).
  2. Quick fixes do not work for those who are depressed. The old axiom, “Just walk it off,” may apply when you skin your knee but not when you brain is bruised. I can tell you from personal experience that when things seem calm, anxious folks will look for what harm lies ahead. If things go wrong, we think about how much worse it can get. Sins and imperfections are also magnified by the ever-shining accusatory spotlight of the ego. Put simply, it’s just not helpful to tell someone to get over it, or to say something like, “You’re letting everybody down.” The author Zack Eswine perhaps says it best on this point: “Remember that it has required more faith for some to do less than you.” Some things we don’t get over, but we can get through them with the help of our Lord and the Body of Christ.
  3. Recall how Jesus ministered to people with illnesses of all sorts. He touched the leper, cleared out demons, cleared out blindness, and much more that we will likely never know about on this side of heaven. What we do know with absolute certainty is that Jesus cared for everyone. He never cowered. Can’t you hear now the people shouting at certain athletes and each other, “You’re unclean!” How would Jesus handle that? In fact, let’s go back to Spurgeon for a moment. He preached often about what he called “the heaviness of spirit,” (or depression in our contemporary terms) and concluded that no matter how far you fall in depression, the eternal arms of God shall be lower than you are. Spurgeon’s advice seems especially helpful to a fallen gymnast as well as those who deal constantly with the judgments of the world’s cacophonous crowd.

In a nutshell: my advice to Simon Biles and to all who are trying to figure out this situation would simply be this intensely encouraging teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). John puts it this way: “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5).