I’ve been thinking about the concept of Heaven on Earth. If you pray the Lord’s Prayer, then you are praying for things to be on earth like they are in heaven. Prayer alone won’t make it happen. We must participate in whatever way possible to help ourselves and other people have encounters that are a reflection of heaven on earth.

This summer was a long and difficult journey for me. A journey from the future to the past that has turned my life upside down and inside out. I’ll be truthful with you, my counselor told me I have PTSD. When she told me, I started weeping and shook my head. I wrote the book, I did research, I was having angry outbursts and other moments. I thought I might be experiencing this kind of trouble but like all the research over the years has told me, it’s hard to diagnose. Anyway, the truth is, I’ve been ashamed of my own anger and I’ve been belittled by other people who had no desire to help, only to hurt. They actually contributed to my PTSD and so I’m doing what I need to do and that is, stay away from people who shame.

In my book, Praying Our Way Through Stress, I don’t really talk about shame. But I’m going to here. You see, it’s easy to point fingers at people who are exhibiting some of the manifestations of unresolved stress that I talk about in my book. But Jesus didn’t point fingers or shame people when they were in despair, instead Jesus loved them out of their despair. He comforted them, he asked them to come away from the rest of the world and follow him, he taught other people not to shame, but to care and demonstrate compassion on others.

In an earlier post, I told you that I participated in a Walk of Hope sponsored by a Prevent Suicide organization. I had a conversation with one person there about the effect shaming has on a person and it’s devastating effects. When people are suffering mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually they struggle passionately with a sense of shame. That struggle is sometimes so severe that they long to get to the heavenly place where there is no more struggling, no more shaming, no more pain heaped upon them.

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ There is no shaming in heaven, only grace with God.

How important is it for us to realize this as a church and in our communities? Pretty important if we are on a mission to prevent suicide. I’ve talked with people who have been so shamed in their churches that they won’t go to any church. I’ve ministered to people who thought the floor would sink or the roof collapse if they walked into the church because they had been shamed out of other churches. It’s sad, but true that this happens to some people. It’s sad because Jesus didn’t come to shame us, he came to save us. Often when people are suffering from PTSD they are being tormented with sins they’ve committed or sins that have been committed against them, sins that they confessed and received forgiveness from already. They may have already forgiven the offenders, but they have to again. Forgiveness does release people from shame. The disciples asked Jesus how many times they had to forgive their brother who sins against them – Jesus answered continuously – every time he sins or anytime you remember the sin. And it’s not only about your brother’s sin – it’s about your own as well or even strangers who sin against you. Don’t give in to sin or shame. Receive forgiveness and grace instead. We can live today shame-free and be set free of guilt and pain.

I recently read a statistic that said in our area the ratio of deaths by suicide compared to deaths by homicide is 4:1. Perhaps you would like to find out what the ratio is in your area and consider what you might be able to do in order to help people out of a sense of shame. PTSD is experienced by everyone – non-military as well as military citizens. We are all in the struggle together. Today I’m trying to do my small part in helping myself and other people. I’m not giving in to the devil’s schemes of condemnation, I’m listening to the Lord who beckons to everyone who is suffering, ‘Come to me and I will give you rest.” He is here, on earth with us, in spirit and in truth. His spirit leads us out of death into life, out of shame and pain on earth into joy and peace on earth.

Let us pray:

Lord, forgive us for those times we have fallen into sin and shame. Please pour out your Holy Spirit upon your people, especially on those who are suffering from shame. Let there be a release of shame. Cast away the spiritual forces of evil and darkness that cajole, confuse and condemn your forgiven people. May your kingdom come, and may we live on earth as we will in heaven. In Peace and Grace, without pain and without shame. We ask this to the glory of your Name. AMEN