Simone Biles made headlines this Olympic season. Not for her extraordinary physical feats, which she has in spades. Not for a surprising misstep, as many tragic Olympic stories go. Not for an off-the-mat moral failure that we’re so used to hearing about. Simone Biles made the news because she chose to sit and rest.
Everyone seemed to have an opinion about Biles’ decision to pull out of the event because she suffered from “twisties,” in which a gymnast loses her sense of orientation in the air—leading to potentially life-threatening falls. Although the gymnast had her share of detractors, there seemed to be an even greater outpouring of support. Fellow competitors, commentators, and even the general public seemed to understand and applaud her decision to take care of her mental and physical health.
The ripple effects spread, and athletes’ mental health became an important topic of conversation. More and more participants were able to talk freely about their struggles with mental health. One commentator wondered, “Will Tokyo Olympics be a game-changer in how we view athletes’ mental health?”
But I hope another reverberation from Biles’ courageous choice will be that the church will also take mental health seriously. We’ve heard stories or even personally experienced pastors, lay leaders, and volunteers getting overwhelmed and burning out. We know there are also congregation members who struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. And yet, if these stories are buried and untold through people simply disappearing from the church pews or moving onto a different church, we are not ministering or loving our brothers and sisters.
This pandemic has exacerbated the mental strain on all of us. We all have dealt with spells of melancholy and slumps during this year and a half of quarantine and social distancing. Social anxiety has affected our ability to come back to church, and we might even feel lonely, which compounds our weakened mental states.
But church, since we know this problem exists and we see that the world is looking for answers for how to cope with mental health, then we must be a place where people can find compassion, support, and healing. The church must be a place where we can say, as Jesus did, “ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Because we know our congregation has suffered and because we know that our pastors have struggled through this pandemic season, we must be ready to roll up our sleeves and be the hands and feet to those who need help.
One of the most important things we can do to help is to give space for people to stop doing things and then support them until they are well. We need to give people permission and even encouragement to stop what they’re doing and rest. We need to tell them and show them that not only is it okay, but in fact, it’s admirable to be like Simone Biles and say, “I can’t do this right now.” We need to let people say, “I need to rest” and “I need help.”
For Christians, this shouldn’t be anything new. We know about the importance of the Sabbath rest, which God gave to us for our benefit. And yet, we convince ourselves that pushing through is the only way to get over the hump. This “fake it until you make it” mindset has permeated our church, and so many of our friends and family members hide behind a façade rather than admit any hurt or difficulty.
So I implore churches to find ways to help people talk about their mental health and find ways to give people rest. Maybe we can offer financial aid for therapy or having lay leaders trained to give support. We can talk about it from the pulpit and provide seminars or other resources.
Perhaps churches can make it okay for your volunteers and teachers to take Sundays off or even stop serving in a church department without guilt or shame. Perhaps church leadership can offer free therapy to their pastors, and pastors can encourage business owners to provide mental health services or self-care days off for their employees. Perhaps by uplifting stories of people “quitting” to find rest, we can encourage others to do the same.
Although this might seem difficult and even impossible, let us remember that when the storm was raging in Galilee, Jesus was sleeping on the boat. Jesus rested, even in the most inopportune times, and he could do so because he was still fully in control. Jesus will not let a single one of his children be snatched out of his hands. He is the good shepherd who leads us to green pastures, through the valley of the shadow of death, and into his house to dwell with him forevermore.
As we look back on the 2020 Olympics, let us celebrate the wins and the accomplishments of these amazing athletes. But let us also remember those who spoke out about their pain and suffering so that we can come alongside those in our churches and communities who are in need as well.