The Weekend Australian Magazine (WAM) featured an article about the recently published book, Profiles in Hope – written by one time NSW politician and opposition leader, John Brogden.  Brogden reports on interviews with fifteen Australians who, like himself, attempted unsuccessfully to take their own life.  They include some very prominent Australians, such as businessman James Packer , Olympic swimmer, Ian Thorpe; and other politicians such as Tasmania’s senator Jacqui Lambie.

The article was not pleasant reading – hardly surprising, given the book’s topic.  Suicide is a painful subject and perhaps interviews with suicide survivors should only be done by those who have been there themselves.  Undoubtedly Brogden interviewed survivors with a depth of empathy that only another survivor could provide.  His motive for the book too is commendable – he wants suicide survivors to realise “they can bounce back”.

The book is certainly relevant, given our horrendous suicide statistics.  For example: between 1997 and 2021 1,677 defence force members died by suicide.  As a pastor I’ve counselled suicidal people to help them through their difficulties.  I’ve sat in hospital ICUs and prayed with those who survived and conducted funerals for those who didn’t.  My wife and I have had to comfort and counsel our daughter who had to cope – on three different occasions – with fellow students at high school taking their own life.  In view of this one would surely welcome any resource that may save lives.

Yet having said that, I should add that I was bitterly disappointed with the article in the WAM.  I found it incredibly sad that this six-page feature article made not a single mention of faith or religion.  There was only one passing reference to God – an irrelevant on at that – as James Packer spoke to Brogden about his difficult relationship with his father: “He wasn’t always right.  He wasn’t God...!”  Good grief, it’s not rocket science to work that out!  Okay, I don’t want to do an injustice to Brogden – the article only touched on some prominent interviews from the book and it’s quite possible that in one or more of the other interviews the subject of faith, church, religion or the Bible did come up.  I admit I haven’t read the book and I’m not sure I want to either.  However, the article in the WAM totally ignored the spiritual dimension of our human existence.

As a result the article left me with the impression that we resolve the hopelessness that drives some to suicide by being counselled to improve our self-esteem, or by getting some assertiveness training.  Well, those kinds of things may give a measure of relief and prevent some from going over the edge.  But when all is said and done we are still left with the fact that the article looked at things from a purely humanistic viewpoint, totally ignoring the Christian viewpoint that has underpinned our society for centuries.

It seems to me that this is symptomatic of a society that has for many decades been marginalising Christianity.  And not only marginalising Christianity but a whole raft of things that the Christian faith regards as non-negotiable.  One of those non-negotiables is the truth that we were created for a relationship with the living God.  This is why the words of Augustine have always resonated with Christians: You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.  Augustine knew that in order to deal with depression and anxiety we need more than a course to improve our self-esteem or some sort of assertiveness training program.

The fact is that the restlessness that may ultimately drive someone to suicide is not just limited to people with depression, anxiety or a whole range of other mental disorders.  Restlessness is part and parcel of life in a fallen and broken world where peace and wholeness are no longer the norm.

The point is that Brogen’s Profiles of Hope (as presented in this article) provide only a very limited solution to human restlessness.  Augustine’s formula of finding our rest in God through faith in Jesus is the only sure and lasting foundation for hope.

The Psalmist knew that well.  Three times the song-writer lamented: “Why, my soul, are you so dejected?  Why are you in such turmoil?”  That’s a good question and many of us have been there.  But we’ve also discovered the truth of the thrice repeated solution: “Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him.”

John Westendorp