Article by:
Rev. Kelcey A. West, MDIV
Despite how common mental health conditions are, not everyone from parents to peers, from principals to politicians and even from the police to pastors knows how to distinguish, discover, and discern them.
Case in point, on May 8, 1994, I sat inside the Thomas & Mack Center and before a trio of hip hop poets known as Salt & Pepa took the stage, a young man, who’s sophomore album was conquering the charts, testified and confessed his faults in my opinion, when he told the near sold-out crowd – “My mind is telling me no, but my body is telling yes.”
And before you allow yourself to mentally pick up and cast a stone or two [John 8:7] at this preacher for even alluding to anything associated with the now incarcerated singer named R Kelly, let us never forget [1 Corinthians 6:11] that all of us [Romans 3:23] have had a moment or two in life when we didn’t see nothing wrong with a little something (pause) that we knew was wrong.
I wish I could match the clinical terms with what I’ve seen in life, because life has taught me both personally and professionally, that people are subject to do what they never thought they could or would do when their mind and body were not on the same page.
If you don’t believe me, please ask the Apostle Paul, who not only said in Romans 7:15 - For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I, but according to Galatians 5:17 - For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Contrary to popular belief, we need the faith-based community to occupy as many seats as possible at Mental Health workshops and conferences because tradition has asked us to minister to the mind, but taboos have restricted us from ministering to the body, especially to the body of our young people, who come to church silently seeking a way out of no way and/or a way to be made whole. [John 5:6]
As a child, I appreciated the messianic messages I heard in church when sin was a mere fantasy to me, but as I neared a teen, when sin became a reality, I needed to not only hear merciful messages, but obtain compassionate and Christ-centered counseling that would help me understand how to really put my body (1 Corinthians 9:27) under subjection. I don’t know if you can read between the lines, but before I was a teenager and while I was still playing with action figures and while I was still sitting Indian style and eating my Captain Crunch, my mind was telling me no, but my body was telling yes as it pertained to sin.
As much as I applauded the church for teaching me that Noah built the ark and that Nehemiah built the wall, and how Solomon built the Temple, I needed the church to counsel me and teach me how to build a mental hedge of protection that would help me fight not only the cravings [Numbers 11], compulsions and coercions, but the proclivities, pressures and patterns [Romans 12:2] that I was experiencing not only in my body, but at times (especially late in the midnight hour) in my mind concerning sex and stealing and drinking on streets that I was not fearfully and wonderfully made to drive on.
Because sin and guilt still go together [Proverbs 18:3] like sugar and grits, I would be lying if I told you, that I, like so many young people, never dealt with temporary and toxic shame, but thanks be to God that even though my sins were like scarlet [Isaiah 1:18], I can declare and decree via this article – NO MORE SHAME!
I would like to conclude this article by revealing that one of my favorite songs ever written by R Kelly was recorded by the late great Michael Jackson. And my reason for sharing this information is because you and/or somebody you know might be mentally dealing with a temporary trial and/or a turbulent tribulation. For that reason, I pray that you would call or text them and simply say - You are not alone.
For I truly believe that the same God who made our scarlet and red sins as white as snow and like wool [Isaiah 1:18] is singing through the scriptures – Though you are far away, I am here to stay. You are always in my heart. You are not alone.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: As a community leader, Pastor West serves as the President for the NV/CA Interstate Missionary Baptist Church Convention, Vice President for the Churches of Southern Las Vegas, Executive Director for the Native Son Spelling Bee, Project Chair for the Mayor’s Faith Initiative on Education, and as a newly elected member of Nevada’s Department of Education’s Family Engagement, Susan G. Komen and Salvation Army Advisory Boards. His professional experience includes serving as a Marketing Manager for such companies as Ultrazone, Coca-Cola and United Blood Services. Although, he has received many awards and accolades, his greatest honors include serving as a devoted husband to Rev. Carmen West and a proud father to Christopher, Kyle, and Cameron. If you would like additional information, please visit https://www.nehemiahlv.com.