I finally got it.
Over the course of the pandemic, I saw various members of my family test positive for COVID19 on those rapid antigen tests. But somehow, I managed to evade it, until about two months ago.
Initially, I had a slight cough and thought nothing of it. But one morning, my coffee tasted strange. And then I remembered how losing your taste was a symptom of COVID. So I tested and immediately a second line appeared indicating I was positive.
For the next week or so, I experienced fairly mild symptoms. Tiredness, some body aches, nothing major. I self-isolated anyways because sickness of any kind in our household can set us back many weeks once it starts circulating.
Now, why am I sharing about my Covid experience? Because during that week of isolation, I was struck by how connected the different parts of my existence are. That is, my physical sickness (even as mild as it was) had a domino effect on my emotional, mental, and relational health.
I found myself feeling aggravated and frustrated. I had random thoughts intruding into my psyche. I felt isolated and withdrawn. I felt far from God and more vulnerable to old patterns of thought and behavior that are inconsistent with who I want to be, and whom God has called me to be.
I talked about this experience with members of our therapist team. There was a sense of understanding. Others were battling different physical ailments as well and noticing the impact on their hearts, minds, and souls.
For this group, the fact that one component of our lives (our physical health) would have a profound impact on other components of our lives came as no surprise. The various parts of our being are inter-connected, deeply and inextricably so.
And yet, for a myriad of reasons, we often live as though we can separate our lives into separate compartments. For example, at one church I attended, there was a group of couples who frequently partied and got wasted on Saturday night, but would faithfully attend Sunday service the next morning. No dissonance or issue. Why? Because Saturday night was their “social” life. Sunday was their separate “religious” life.
This is an overt example of compartmentalization. But there are many subtle forms that are harder to pinpoint but no less impactful. Are exercise and the foods we consume “spiritual” concerns? How about what we spend our money on or how we drive during rush hour?
I’m concerned that we (churched and unchurched alike) have unwittingly embraced an increasingly compartmentalized and dis-integrated way of life.
But the Scriptures call us to a different way of being, one in which every aspect of our lives comes under God’s loving influence. God invites us into shalom - wholeness, completeness, integration. Jesus instructs us to love God with our whole being - mind, heart, strength, soul. And dismantling the notion that our faith is just a private, personal thing, Jesus tells us to “love our neighbor” (Mark 12:30-31). Why? Because our relationships (i.e. our social and familial lives) are a vital part of our life with God.
The work of the Spirit of God is the work of drawing us more deeply into communion with Christ in order to bring healing to every aspect of our lives until we are “complete, mature, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). To speak plainly, Jesus isn’t interested in just being “Lord” of your “spiritual” or “religious” life. He’s interested in being Lord of your entire life - mind, heart, body. And who you are at work, at play, and at home.
The work of mental health is one tool God has given to us towards this end. The therapist and client are working to identify the forces that cause dis-integration in our lives and move persistently and tenaciously back towards integration. We are courageously and carefully knocking down walls between the artificial compartments we’ve erected in our lives and bringing harmony between the different facets of our identity.
The next time I get sick, I’ll be better prepared, more aware of how all the parts of me are intertwined and inter-connected — even if I have to self-isolate in a separate room to keep the germs from spreading.
John Lin, Partnerships Director
