Suicide is not “The End”

When a suicide occurs it is devastating for those left behind and it also prompts the question, “Why?”  It is as enigmatic as it is tragic. Some cases are clearer than others, such as chronic pain or the diagnosis of a crushing disease.   One of my Mother’s best friends took her life because of physical pain, and from what I recall Robin Williams – who spent his life making people laugh - took his life 10 years ago this month after a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia.  The reasons why a person takes their own life, or even thinks about it, are as varied as the individuals themselves. The one thing they have in common is the desire to escape.

My first encounter with suicide was that of a sophomore classmate in high school.  He hung himself at the tender age of 15. Three years later I witnessed the aftermath of a gun inflicted suicide.  And just before my 21st birthday, I attempted to take my own life.  The temptation to prematurely leave this world is one of the tools in the box of him who desires only death and destruction.  Satan, who has mastered human nature, has even veiled it as an “honor,” in some civilizations. During the Roman Empire when a Roman soldier or senator was tried and condemned to death, to be forbidden to take one’s own life was further humiliation. It was considered a last sign of self-respect and an honorable action.  From the factual Mark Antony and Cleopatra to the fictional Romeo and Juliet, the act of self-murder has carried with it a warped sense of integrity.  Today, we have those labeled “suicide bombers” who are touted as “martyrs” for a cause.  Suicide bombers are not martyrs; they are murderers of themselves and too often of others.

Sacred Scripture does not skip over the topic of suicide.  It portrays human nature in graphic detail for better or for worse.  Most of us are acquainted with the first murder (Cain and Abel), but the first suicide I recall is that of King Saul, the first king of Israel.  Rather than be taken captive, he fell on his sword.  In our reading for the 19th Sunday in ordinary time, we see where the great prophet Elijah, who just came off an incredible high by defeating the 600 priests of Ba’al, fled in fear of Jezebel.  Curling up alone on the desert floor, he cried out to the Lord, “This is enough O Lord! Take my life!” He appeared to be sincere in his request for death, for he did not want to eat or drink until prompted by an angel.  In the New Testament, well before Judas took his life for his betrayal, Jesus himself, in a weakened state of hunger and fatigue, was tempted to commit suicide by Satan when he said, “Throw yourself off this cliff…” 

Mental health, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, anxiety, and illness are just a few reasons people take their lives prematurely. My attempt was due to prolonged despair and sense of failure that led to feelings of hopelessness. By the age of 20 I had concluded there was no God, and without that spiritual foundation upon which my life had been built - everything spiraled downward. It was not that I wanted to die.  I could no longer live with the way things had been going. It takes a will to live.  And though my will was weak, I did call 911 before it was too late.   

Whether suicide is stigmatized or glorified, it is not something that God wants for us.  Never will the Author of Life say to his creation, “Throw yourself off this cliff…”  Unfortunately, our society today has taken a contradictory stance in dealing with this tragedy.  On the one hand we see resources available, particularly after every famous or infamous suicide is reported in the news.  This is good. People need help to overcome their personal darkness.  Yet at the other end of the spectrum our society is engaging in assisted suicide on the premise that it is somehow an “inherent right of the individual” to take their life.  A good spring cannot give both salt and sweet water, if it does, the salt always wins.

Euthanasia-on-demand is not a civil liberty but the extreme conclusion of human pride that says, “I am the measure of my life and I will do things my way,” and this is exactly the opposite of God’s will.  Yes, he has given us a certain degree of freedom, but he wills us to will good and not to will evil.  How terribly confusing it must be for one who has suicidal tendencies to see on the one hand they can get help but on the other they are being told, “It’s ok to end your life the way you want to.”  These same people who promote the right to die act on the misguided presumption that death is just an eternal nap.  At a time when both God and the concept of an afterlife have been scrapped as unreasonable, people are dying clueless, thinking that death is “the end,” but this is false.  Death is an instantaneous gateway that leads to heaven or hell, and no one should be encouraged to pass through prematurely.  Personally, I believe there is blood on the hands of those who practice this secular presumption - that death may be better than life - and do so, hypocritically, without any empirical proof.  

Suicide is an enigma, but it should not be stigmatized, glorified or legitimized.  Darkness can be overwhelming, even for followers of Jesus Christ.  There is no simple fix; we are not machines.  However, there is always hope in God who loves us and desires for us to live with him forever, and ever. If you need help, reach out to someone you know cares about you.  If you suspect someone needs help, don’t wait to confront them.  And always, always, lean on Jesus.  His shoulders are broad enough for all his flock.