Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“‘Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ ”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, January 18, 2021
by Daniel D. Maurer, Clergy Stuff
I occasionally struggle with anxiety and depression. For anyone who’s ever experienced this themselves, they will instantly recognize and relate to the feelings. For anyone who has not experienced it, there’s no way to fully describe how difficult it can be.
I’ve trained myself to reach out to others who understand it. Today, in fact, I reached out to a person who’s been incredibly helpful for me. She knows what it’s like, how difficult it can be. Just being able to talk with someone who knows—who really knows—is helpful in its own right. But she also reminded me to use mindfulness to bring myself outside of myself.
Jesus himself knew what it was like for people who were hurting. God knows our pain and reminds each of us that we are connected to each other. More importantly, God is connected with us. Even those for whom we would simply throw away or call “crazy.” Whether you believe the demon was a real demon or “mental illness” isn’t really the point. The point is that Jesus was present for that man there, then. He knew he was hurting, and he reached out to heal him.
God, when anxiety or depression creeps in, be there for me. Amen.
