WHEN DARKNESS SEEMS MY CLOSEST
FRIEND:
Reflections on life and ministry with depression
By Mark Meynell
IVP. 240 pages. £9.99
ISBN 978 1 783 596 508
Reviewers are asked to assess a book’s worth, orthodoxy, helpfulness and relevance, a task that Mark Meynell has made very simple for this reviewer – it is excellent in every department!
But for en readers who need a little more detail before they buy a book, let me explain that yes, this is another book about depression written from painful personal experience by a Christian. It is warm-hearted, honest, biblical, practical; Mark is a gifted wordsmith who grapples successfully with the terrible dilemma of needing to find words to describe the almost indescribable. His achievement is not only to give words to fellow sufferers, but to help others who have not shared his experience to get closer to understanding it. I found particularly helpful his metaphors both geological – likening the sudden eruption of another episode to the bubbling lava of a volcano suddenly breaking through the earth’s crust that usually contains it; and meteorological – brain blizzard, fog, storm.
Guilt is not shame
A very helpful section is the explanation of the difference between guilt (fear of discovery of what I’ve done) and shame (fear of discovery of who I am). The important distinction between solitude and isolation is helpfully explored. He does not shirk the very difficult topic of suicidal thoughts. As well as describing his own struggles, Mark makes helpful suggestions as to how friends can support better, making this book a must-read both for those living with mental ill-health and those who love them – I think that covers all of us!
The book’s title comes from Psalm 88; psalms, proverbs and other Bible books are widely quoted, along with Christian writers like Bunyan and Cowper – and Bono! The book closes with appendices suggesting helpful further reading and listening.
I cannot think of any Christian who would not benefit from reading Mark’s book; he makes no claim to have ‘arrived’ but his openness and hopeful testimony make him a true companion for his fellow pilgrims.
