Page 76 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Church Traditions for a Christian Psychology
A deeply traumatizing event in World War II,
when I was 8 surfaced (at the age of 35) when a
long hidden episode surfaced. I said: “Lord, as
a missionary I know I have to forgive, I decide
that with my mind”, but it took 12 years before
I finally discovered: now I have forgiven from
the heart. Thus I tell Abuse Survivors: we can´t
forgive from the heart, but God can teach one
how. I invite them to come into God´s School of
Forgiveness. If that is still too difficult for some,
they can go to the “playgrounds of the school”.
God will call them inside when they are ready
to learn to forgive.
2) In charismatic/protestant teaching there is
often the stress on the notion that ´God heals´
if you believe. If that doesn´t happen then there
is somewhere sin in your life. This was one of
076
my reasons to turn to Roman Catholic teaching,
where one can “offer one´s sickness up to God”,
He loves us and at times He shares His pain with
us in a physical way.
Ed Welch recognizes that treatment with psych-
iatric medications can “affect the physical body
and brain, but that they can´t produce faith,
love, obedience, purpose, joy and hope. These
are Spiritual – from the Spirit – and come from
hearing and responding to the word of Christ”. I
can underline that by personal experience. The-
re is “suffering and hardship, and God´s com-
fort and our faith (then) are essential at those
times”.
His remarks about emotions are so insightful; it
is worth to read it at least a few times.