This Week from Mitch
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Yesterday morning, I read the obituary of a young Episcopal clergy person who ended her life. It was a sad and heartbreaking read. Yesterday afternoon, I learned of a second suicide. Brian Silldorff was a youth minister with ties to our parish as well as every other parish here in Columbia. Brian was well known for his mission trips, his Bible studies, and the way he was able to relate to youth. Several of our confirmands over the past years have credited Brian with helping to develop their faith.
In August 2020, the CDC posted a study. Alarmingly, it showed that in June of 2020, nearly 11 percent of their study respondents reported having thought about suicide during that same month. This showed a marked increase from the study which was done in June of 2018 in which only 4 percent of respondents responded that they had had suicidal thoughts. This study reported that the most people at-risk for suicidal thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic were in this order: unpaid/underpaid caregivers, young adults ages 18-24, and, finally, essential workers. This is all at once sad, alarming, and scary, especially when added to the truth that from 1999-2018, our suicide rates in America rose by 38 percent. My friends, while this is not my usual E-Messenger message, there is a problem, and this problem needs to be talked about.
Our society is estranged from the Church, estranged from each other, and more divided than I can ever remember it being. Our communication is mostly online, and that communication is sharper and more biting than when we talk face-to-face. Since this pandemic, I have seen people hurt one another all while hiding behind a keyboard. Please before you write, remember the words of Jesus, "How great fire can be sparked by a tongue." Words matter! Please also remember that if you are a person who has experienced the horrible loneliness of suicidal thoughts and deep depression, there are people in the world willing to listen to you, hear you, and help you. If you are having suicidal thoughts, you can call the Parish Office, or the National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-TALK). Or you can call a friend, or you can dial 911. There is help.
Finally, to everyone: We live in a world where people feeling the strains of anxiety are at an all-time high. A world where people feel more lonely than ever. A world where we are intentionally being divided one against another by the most powerful people in our society. All of these things have ongoing ramifications. In short, we live in a world that needs the Church and the love of Jesus more than ever. We need the unification of common prayer. If you are struggling, come to outside church. Come pray with me or any of our clergy at one of our picnic tables. Come worship with friends and loved ones in a safe way. Come be together, even as we have to stand apart. I believe it is needed and necessary.
In Christ,
Mitch+