Lent Meditation: Day 14 - March 3, 2026

📖 Scripture Verse

“And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When [Jesus’] family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’” — Mark 3:20-21

🕯️Meditation

“For I am under the same accusation with my Saviour -- -for they said, he is besides himself.

For the officers of the peace are at variance with me, 

and the watchman smites me with his staff.

For I am a little fellow, which is intitled to the great mess by the benevolence of God my father

For silly fellow! silly fellow! is against me and belongeth neither to me nor my family.

For I am like a frog in the brambles, but the Lord hath put his whole armour upon me.

For I was a Viper-catcher in my youth and the Lord delivered me from his venom.”

A selection of verses from Jubilate Agno, by Christopher Smart

In the 1750s, English poet Christopher Smart, described as an “irresponsible, academically brilliant, feckless genius” by biographer Chris Mounsey, was imprisoned under the accusation of madness in various “madhouses”. He connected his experience of involuntary imprisonment with Christ’s own experience of being misunderstood by family and oppressed by the laws of his day.  His imprisonment was likely forced upon him due to alcoholism, debt, and instability by family members.

Mental illness is as common and troubling among Christians as it is among all peoples.  Depression, substance use disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, and the the whole host of disorders that can affect the organ that is the human brain can be a great source of struggle and suffering—and that suffering can be compounded by the ways in which they are often misunderstood by others, including those who are closest to us.

Christopher Smart took consolation that Jesus’ own family misunderstood him, saying “he is out of his mind.”  He took consolation that even though he found himself afoul of the civil authorities, he was able to find the presence of God open to him.  He could praise God even in his distress.  His great prison poem is called Jubilate Agno, which means “Rejoice in the Lamb.”  Like the psalms, it spans a wide range of emotions from despair, anger, and resentment, to joy, gratitude, and hope.

If you or someone close to you struggles with mental illness, I encourage you to seek help and support from compassionate and skilled mental health professionals.  I also encourage you to seek to cultivate joy, creativity, and hope in Christ in the midst of the real and serious negative emotions you may be experiencing, remembering that even in this, Jesus is your close companion.

🙏 Prayer

God, sometimes my own inner life and mental health is hard for me to understand.  Help me to be kind with myself and responsible for myself, so that I may seek the healing and support I need to live well and praise your name. Amen.

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