The Lesson of May Day

 

            Some years ago we counseled with a young man who considered suicide because of a $5,000 debt. That’s when we learned that its not the amount of debt that matters, it’s the burden of the debt on the soul.

 

            Now we hear that hard economic times are being blamed for a 31% increase in suicide from 1999 to 2010. Since the beginning of the 2008 recession more people have died in the suicide epidemic than were killed in auto accidents. The hardest hit group is no longer teens or the elderly, but adults ages 35 to 64, for whom suicide are now the fourth most common cause of death. And middle aged men suffer most of all, with suicides out numbering women by 4 to 1. 

 

            It should not be too surprising that men are the primary victims of the suicide epidemic. Men feel the responsibility of providing for their families, and feel condemnation when they cannot. Their self esteem is often derived from their work, with devastating results when the job is lost. Men learn not to communicate their emotional needs and many are too proud to ask for help. In a prolonged economic slump, hopelessness takes hold and some begin to feel that the world would be better off without them.

 

            Our experience has been that people can escape from debt and prolonged financial bondage, but the real problem here is spiritual, not financial. The antidote to failure and condemnation is to realize that the whole Christian religion is built on forgiveness for our past mistakes and moving forward without guilt. Self esteem comes from the value placed on us by God, whose children we are, and can be realized not just through work but also through Church, family, and friends. Men may not sit in a circle and sing Kum-Ba-Ya, but they can learn to humble themselves and let others help them. And they can realize that they are still needed by their friends, families, and Churches.

 

            Reaching out to men in trouble is hard to do because they hide their feelings and often behave badly. The first thing you can do is to involve them in some activity to keep them busy and slowly rebuild self esteem. Share your own failures openly and never insult them by being patronizing. Let them know that their life is valuable by asking for their advice and help. Share your faith if you can, pointing to a better future. And make ‘em laugh.

 

            Our young friend rediscovered his hope in life with a little encouragement and little help. Hope was the key to the rest of his life.

 

            So, keep hope alive and stay alive. There is so much to live for.

The Gift of Saint Nicholas

Yes, there really is a Saint Nicholas. He was a fourth century Bishop in Myra, In Asia

Minor. And he really was famous for his gift giving and his concern for the poor and for children.

 In the Middle Ages some enterprising citizens of the Italian city of Bari stole his remains and built a cathedral in his honor in Bari. Because of the importance of Saint Nicholas to both Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church, the cathedral is one of the few places in the world where Catholic and Orthodox minister under the same roof. Pilgrims of both denominations are welcome there.

When the Charismatic renewal swept through the Catholic Church, one of the leaders in

Bari, Matteo Calisi, wondered if the tolerance expressed at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral could grow into real reconciliation. He and Italian Evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino reached across the divide and began a movement which has brought Catholics and Evangelicals together throughout Italy. Over the years the reconciliation movement has reached out from Bari to Evangelicals in North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. In addition, the Orthodox and Messianic Jewish churches have also become involved.

The reconciliation movement born in Bari seeks to bring Christians into genuine unity in our diversity. God realizes that we have different practices and beliefs, and we’re told to tolerate our brothers (see Ro14:1-4 and Ro 15:1-7). Our real unity is through Christ, for if we are each in Christ then we are also united in Christ. (see John 17:20-23).

So let us all join Christ in his prayer that we may be brought into complete unity (John17:23).

And we need to thank Him for the gift of the reconciliation movement which was started in honor of Saint Nicholas.