Thursday September 9th: Bootcamp for Disciples
September 9, 2021
SHE
September 9, 2021
By Niobe Rodrigues
Psalm 116: 3-4 The cords of death encompassed me; the snares of the netherworld seized upon me; I fell into distress and sorrow, And I called upon the name of the LORD, “O LORD, save my life!”
September is World Suicide Prevention month and this week, the video is one that is a bit difficult to watch from Farenite. Attempted suicide in Trinidad and Tobago does not receive much empathy in our society.
Lord Hold me
We say, “Why he (she) do something so stupid?” or “What problems she (he) could have?” Yet if the suicide is accomplished what do we say? “I didn’t know anything was wrong…why didn’t he (she) say something? Why didn’t she ask for help?”, “How her family couldn’t see something was going on? How couldn’t they see something was wrong?”. In the video, the star is seen alone contemplating various methods to take her life. When the end finally comes, the video ends in an unanticipated way with others at her side. Who we have at our side when experiencing trials is, like it says at the end of the song, “critical and crucial”. A few years ago an incident involving two American teenagers made headlines. A young man was considering suicide and was encouraged by his girlfriend. When he exited his vehicle, after having second thoughts about dying from carbon monoxide poisoning, she texted him, and called him a coward and told him to get back in and get it over with.
Both the reports and the texts are difficult to read. The teenager in this situation was depressed and had turned to a friend. The psalmist made a different choice when he had fallen “into distress and sorrow”. He called on the Lord to save his life. The Lord will provide surely but we must do our part to help those who are struggling. St James says that we must do more than offer empty words without any active, visible help.
People turn to us for two reasons: God sent them to us and they think that we will help. Let us build up their faith in God by doing what we can and acting as we must, so that they will not lose their grip on reality nor on life. Let us help them to continue to walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.
