Dealing with the “Black dog”

I love it when the words on a page that I am reading seem to spring out of the page and resonate and bring life to me. I want to pass on a story that I read this week, in Greg Haslam’s excellent book: “A radical encounter with God” It concerns the life of Martin Luther, the great German reformer. He went through many struggles in his life, both personal and spiritual, but through his study of Gods word he rediscovered the Gospel, this gift of Gods sovereign grace to an undeserving world. Through this he had many new insights which continue to inspire and challenge us today.

He was also pursued by his critics and subject to intense pressure and persecution. As a result he was a man who also experienced deep periods of depression. His wife Katherina had grown tired of her husbands bouts of the “Black Dog” (to use a phrase coined by Churchill). It so affected her that she too became close to despair. She realised that after a particularly lengthy period of depression, she had to do something to snap Luther out of it. So she decided to dress herself in black mourning clothes. Her dress, stockings, shoes, gloves and hat, were all black as if she was going to a funeral.

She went and took Luther his supper dressed in this way. Luther asked her: “Has someone died? “Yes ” she replied, “and it is a most tragic loss. God has died” Luther at once responded passionately, “What, God cannot die, he is eternal. The ancient of days who alone dwells in immortality and unapproachable light. God cannot die. What blasphemy”

Katherina responded;” You speak the truth so well, my dear husband, but if that is so. why do you go about these last six weeks in such misery and despair as if the life of the eternal one was no more? I had to conclude that God must be dead”

What a timely reminder to us all, and I include myself in this, that God is always on the throne and in control of every detail of our lives! When circumstances conspire and pressure seems unbearable, remember that we have Father in heaven who smiles upon us with joy as we persevere in him! We have our brother Jesus who is now praying for us at the right hand of God. We trust him for our futures, and those of our friends, families and others that we shepherd. Luther the great reformer had to be reminded of this by his wife. We would do well to remind each other.

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