ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 9, 2025
This week is suicide prevention week, and if you have not been directly impacted by suicide, you are probably just one person removed from that extraordinarly painful and deeply troubling experience. As so often happens, both language and perception have changed over the years. Simple things like no longer saying that someone ‘committed suicide’ are important. When we use the word ‘committed,’ it implies intention and choice, like when someone commits murder or any other crime. Yet we know that suicide and suicidal ideations (thoughts) are rooted in mental health concerns, and like any health concern, we recognize the root cause as something people are not choosing to inflict upon themselves. On the Suicide Prevention Alliance’s website, I found the following very helpful…
According to Sally Spencer-Thomas, Ph.D., one of the premier psychologists working in suicide prevention today, states “the litmus test for talking about suicide is to substitute the word “cancer” for the word “suicide” to see if the sentence still makes sense or if it has a negative connotation. We wouldn’t say “committed cancer” or “successful cancer”—we would simply say “cancer death” or “died of cancer.” Thus, when it comes to suicide, we should say “suicide death” or “died of suicide.”
Language is important, and though change can be difficult, our language shapes our perception of things. There are so many aspects of our mental health services that need dramatic improvement, and sadly, many people who deal with suicidal ideations (thoughts) do not have the resources for the needed medical help. If you or someone you know needs help, there is always someone willing to talk at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Lord God, as the One who declared all creation to be good, we join you in that declaration, while also doing whatever we can to affirm the goodness in others. So often, painful experiences and mental health struggles can impede someone from both recognizing and embracing that goodness. From counselors to therapists to other mental health providers, there are amazing sources of healing and renewal, yet we pray for empathy and understanding so we can assist the good work so many professionals are doing. Amen.
