In these early days of 2023, may our prayers for healing surround Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative from Maryland, who has been diagnosed with a serious yet highly treatable lymphoma. May God's love and care abound.

About two years ago, I wrote about Jamie Raskin as he faced a different spiritual challenge. At that time, he found words of prophetic insight and moral healing as he reflected on the death of his son, Thomas, whose memorial service was January 5, 2021, and on the near-death of our democracy the very next day, on January 6. Thomas was 25 when his depression finally overtook him. He left a farewell letter for his family: "Please forgive me. My illness won today. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me. All my love, Tommy."

Here is what Jamie Raskin found the courage and love to share with all of us then: "You would think that America was just all about polarizations and mutual hatreds, but that's not been our family's experience. We've had wonderful messages--thousands and thousands of messages--from people from all over the country, all over the political spectrum, reaching out to us, we've had veterans who have battled mental illness, veterans' families who've lost people to suicide, we've had other families whose kids are going through depression or who have lost kids, who reach out to us."

Like his wonderful son Tommy, Jamie's compassion is expansive: "There's a lot of pain out there. 800,000 families lost somebody to Covid. We've lost tens of thousands of people recently to gun violence in the country. The mental and emotional health crisis is out of control, and the opioid crisis, so this is a country that is in pain, this is a country that's wounded."

Representative Raskin concludes: "And the way to deal with trauma is to speak of trauma, for people to be able to express their truths and to use the trauma as a bonding mechanism so we can connect with other people's pain and other people's loss and then move forward. And I think that's what's gonna get us out of it, otherwise we're going to get into cycles of pain and cycles of violence and depression and we don't want that."

Thank you, Jamie and Sarah Raskin, for speaking your trauma and truth and love into the world, where it can ease our burdens and help us to heal our minds and hearts. As we receive your abundant blessings, we in turn pray for divine love to overflow for you and all your dear ones, on this day and forevermore.

U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin shared these reflections in a live interview with Nicolle Wallace on January 5, 2022, via MSNBC. (This portion of the interview was transcribed by Rev. Dr. Pat Youngdahl.)

Jamie Raskin's new memoir is "Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy."

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours, seven days a week, at 1-800-273-8255, with print resources; counselors to talk with, if desired, at any time; and an informative website: suicidepreventionlifeline.org. According to the site, all calls are confidential and free: "People call to talk about lots of things: substance abuse, economic worries, relationships, sexual identity, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and loneliness, to name a few. Talking with someone about your thoughts and feelings can save your life."