A Difficult Week

In some ways Liberty University and Lynchburg College are miles apart, but in other ways we are literally and figuratively just down the road. I listened to Liberty’s student convocation this morning as the leaders addressed the tragedies of the last few days on their campus. While the community gathered at their regular weekly time to mourn the death of the student killed this week, Jerry Falwell, Jr. also lifted up a student whose brother died tragically yesterday, a student who had tried to commit suicide yesterday and the officer who fatally shot the student.  In addition he asked the community to pray for the family of Creigh Deeds, state Senator who was critically injured and whose son also died in a separate incident.  They are a community asking questions and a community acutely aware of their emotions, turning to prayer and asking others to pray for them as well. You may be asking questions or surprised by your emotions as well. The loss of students is always tragic and unfortunately no college or university is immune from loss. At Lynchburg College we too have faced the death of students as recently as last year. The wounds heal slowly.

Mental health crises are a common theme in several of these incidents this week. College and university counseling centers around the country are seeing increases in the number of students seeking services.  Our own counseling service reports that they have had about a 30% increase in appointments. Some folks understand mental illness as illness much like diabetes that can be managed by changes in lifestyle, stress relief and/or medication. Others still attach a stigma to mental illness that shames and judges that mental health patients are somehow inferior or lazy or just weak. Please pay attention to your friends and colleagues and how they are doing. Reach out to anyone you see struggling with depression, panic attacks, substance abuse or self-harming behavior  and let someone know they are struggling. That’s part of being a community.

As Thanksgiving break approaches the holiday—even the break—can increase stress as well.  It is academic crunch time and final projects are looming. Returning home for Thanksgiving rarely looks like a Hallmark card…there are lots of relatives in tight spaces, crazy uncles, nagging mothers, and interrogating questions from even the most well-meaning relatives. For students who have reached a new level of independence living away from home the return to curfew or a house where your old bedroom has become an office, it is hard to re-adapt to an old paradigm.

So in this season of stress and anxiety, academic deadlines and stories of crises almost at our doorstep, how are we to give Thanks?  Be aware of every blessing you can and have hope. Give thanks for every friend and for every paper you finish. Give thanks for the food you eat and for the food you can share with those you love. Give thanks for your education and for the resiliency you can muster. Give thanks for the children in your life and for the seniors who share their wisdom. Give thanks for joy wherever you find it.

There are many, many ways to pray, and if you are a praying person, please continue to pray for those in our community affected by the violence this week. Please pray for the LU community. Please pray for those who struggle with mental illness and for a health care system where so many are without the treatment they need. Pray for yourself that you will find joy in the holidays and the strength and peace to truly celebrate and give thanks.  AMEN.

Blessings,

Stephanie