Our role as
a church needs to be the place that offers radical hospitality, hope and family
to those who are often marginalized and stigmatized – just as Jesus modeled.
But what does it look like to offer this today? Looking at
the biblical narrative of hospitality, we see a story of welcome and inclusion.
In Genesis we see that all are made in the image of God. Old Testament prophets
such as Amos and Isaiah had an outward focus on justice and a provocative call
to make space for others. Jesus spent his ministry breaking down the social
norms and including those that ordinarily would have been on the outside. This
is seen in the people he spoke to (the woman at the well); the people he healed
(the 12 lepers) and his choice of disciples (tax collector, fishermen, not the
educated teachers of the faith). His painful death on the cross was the
ultimate sacrifice; it was allowed by God in order to bring all into the family
of God. And then he called on his disciples to go and do likewise.
The early
Church in Acts was a place where wealth was brought and distributed to those
who needed it. This was about more than the occasional bring and share ‘faith
meal’; it was radical, counter-cultural and a remarkable witness to society.
Everyone was welcome to be a part of it. This is the example Jesus set us, and
it’s the standard we need to follow in welcoming in those with mental health
problems.
In
India, mental health disorders account for nearly a sixth of all health-related
disorders - 65 million Indians suffer from mental illnesses (Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, 2009). The prevalence rate of mental disorders indicates
that 65 out of 1000 persons are at some point of time in their life in need of
psychological care for a mental illness/emotional breakdown. Yet we have just 0.4 psychiatrists and 0.02 psychologists per
100,000 people, and 0.25 mental health beds per 10,000 populations. The ratio between those in need of
mental health services and those who can extend care are grossly
disproportionate, almost dismal. The
burden to families includes the cost of treatment, loss of productivity,
functional impairment, and reduced quality of life.
During the United Nations General
Assembly in September 2015, world leaders recognized the importance of mental
health and well-being, and promoted mental health as health priority within the
global development agenda. The UNGA 2015 opted to include mental health in the
Sustainable Development Agenda and now it is part of the Sustainable
Development Goals 2030. In order to increase the
importance and bring visibility to the topic, St.Joseph’s Guidance &
Counseling Centre (SJGCC) has chosen the theme for 2017 as "Compassionate Care Towards Mental Health".
With posters, the rituals of worship, exhibition, Bible studies and other
awareness programs we wish to work with you all to achieve this goal.
Rev.Dr.Jose PuthenveedDirector, SJGCC, Kollam
Rev.Dr.Jose PuthenveedDirector, SJGCC, Kollam
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