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Questions appropriate for printing in the War Cry will be answered through this column.
Dear Math:
The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of
our infinite, everywhere�present God that
is difficult to comprehend with the limits
of our finite minds and experience. Some
very imperfect yet helpful earthly ex-
amples have been used to help us grasp
this concept. Such examples consist of
one thing composed of three parts, such
as the human personality with its powers
of mind, feeling and will, or a person con-
sisting of body, soul and spirit.
This belief is a foundational Christian
truth and is one of the 11 doctrines of The
Salvation Army.
God is God the
Father, God the
Son and God the
Holy Spirit, three
persons of the
same essence, co-equal as one God exist-
ing in perfect relationship within Himself.
When Jesus (God the Son) took on hu-
man form, He continued His relationship
with God the Father through prayer. An
example of the Trinity is found in the bap-
tism of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit in
the form of a dove descended on
Jesus (the Son) while the Father
spoke His words of commenda-
tion, "This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased"
(Matthew 3:16, 17).
Even with our best efforts,
we struggle to grasp this, let
alone explain it. There are some
things that we have to accept by
faith until we are given perfect under-
standing in Heaven. This is one of those.
Christians may feel shame or embar-
rassment, thinking that they should
be above such things. But we need to
remember that we are human, and we
get sick just like everyone else. Depres-
sion is a sickness. While we trust God
to bring us through our storms and
sicknesses, often He does so through
the expertise of doctors, therapists,
pharmacists, church family and friends.
God has provided many tools, expertise
and information for our use. We need to
do our part to access what is available
to help our situation. And He will do His
part, which is to bring us safely through
the storm, showing us the way to pro-
ceed, never leaving our side and comfort-
ing us with His faithful Presence.
No, your friend is not out of the will of
God. And she needs
supportive friends
now more than
ever.
Dear Way:
A few years ago, the World Health Orga-
nization named depression as the second
most common cause of disability world-
wide. Between five and 10% of adults
in America experienced symptoms of
major depression, and an estimated 15%
of American adults were taking antide-
pressant medications. Studies of various
religious groups appear to yield similar
results, which means that a significant
number of Christians also experience ma-
jor depression.
We are not talking about a short-term
case of the blues or sadness that occurs
periodically to all of us. Major depres-
sion, or clinical depression, is an ex-
tended period of depression, sadness,
anxiety and hopelessness that affects
our ability to carry on daily activities.
Happy, clear minded people of faith have
found themselves unexpectedly sub-
merged in this deep dark pit from which
they cannot find a way out. God's Word
reveals various heroes of the faith who
battled depression, such as King David,
Job and Solomon.
There are many causes: chemical
imbalances, medications, personal trag-
edies, childhood sexual abuse, exhaus-
tion, sin. While it is extremely important
to discover the cause, temporary use of
prescription medications may be needed
to help ease the pain and enable the
sufferer to return to clear thinking and
daily activities. Often, time spent with
appropriately trained professionals helps
identify the source of the problem and
provides information for recovery and
future recurrence.
Dear Aunt Sally:
My good friend is a Christian
who has prayed for healing but
still finds herself suffering from
bouts of fear and depression. Is
she out of the will of God?
--Way Down
32
The War Cry | SEPTEMBER 2013
Dear Aunt Sally:
I don't understand how people can treat
Jesus and God as one; if they were, then
when Jesus was on earth and prayed,
was He praying to Himself?
--The Math Doesn't Work
"God is God the Father,
God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit... "
28-32 WCSept_FIN2.indd 32
8/16/13 1:42 PM