Mental health in our Meetings
Isobel Lane encourages Friends to put their faith into practice
For me, the most vital Quaker testimony is that to equality. If we truly believe that we are created equal, unique, precious, a child of God, how can we treat any human being as not worthy of the same consideration and respect as anyone else? When mental health issues create discomfort (usually due to fear arising from ignorance) living this testimony can become difficult. Experience shows me that ignorance creates fear, and fear is very powerful. The best way that I have found to overcome this is to be as open as I dare in telling others of my realities, so they know why I sometimes behave as I do and, while maybe not liking it, can see that I have not ceased to be human. I also need to feel safe with them. So, it is a slow process. As Bob Johnson says (in his book Emotional Health): ‘Truth and trust are rarely dramatic but you cannot be emotionally fit without them’. We have a testimony to truth. If we cannot be truthful among ourselves, how can we follow that testimony in the wider world?
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