I have a perfect view of the story bridge from my bedroom window. On Thursday morning, yet another shirtless man dangled off the structure, moved by the need to escape the world. People tried to talk him down, but I guess at that stage, words are not enough.
Research has proved, several times over, that secular nations have higher suicide rates than religious nations. The bible does not condone suicide. But, more importantly, it seems religious people rely on God to lift them out of the depths of the sadness, frustration and helplessness that inform the want to end one’s own life. Church provides a safe place and a welcoming community to help whoever is in need or whoever might be in a dark place. My Christian aunty and uncle struggle financially. There was one particular week when they didn’t think they’d be able to provide for their children. That week, someone at church who wasn’t a particularly close friend and was not explicitly told about these money problems, approached my aunty with a wad of cash because God told him that they needed help. This kind of community is one that will push you forward, to see the light, to want to live, to have faith in humanity and hope that God will help you through the struggle. These are the people who make the world a better place.
I can’t help but think that if that dangling, shirtless, fearful man could have had a wonderful community to help him through and the faith that things would get better, he may not have jumped.
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