Colin sat on the edge of his seat in my office, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for something. Then he said: “I know this is going to sound weird but it’s true. I was watching TV this morning, and the announcer gave me a message to pass on to you today."
The message from the newsreader was nonsense, and I began to suspect that Colin was experiencing psychosis; he was a bit delusional, and his thought processes pretty scrambled.
The necessity of a plan
Every church needs a plan to help people experiencing a psychological crisis. Over the years I have supported people having suicidal thoughts, who have self-harmed, and many having panic attacks. Colin and I were having a calm conversation, and he was in control of himself. Others were clearly a danger to themselves or others. When someone is in crisis, we need to know what to do.
The problem of bogus behavioural research
One of my catchphrases is, "Psychology and theology can be friends." We have the truth in Christ, but we also …