Suicide of Child-Star Sweeten, Clearly a Light Shining on a Quiet Epidemic

Teen suicide is on the rise in the United States. Most recently, child-actor Sawyer Sweeten, 19, ended his life. While disturbing, it's far from shocking. Life is difficult. Life is complicated. Life is many things that can make a person question a reason for longevity. But question we must.

The Bible alludes to after-life existing in both heaven and hell, beyond this physical presence on earth. Examples include the evil man who begged that his brothers be warned about the wrath of hell; and, Elijah in heaven being called from the dead, asking why the person chose to 'bother' him (Luke 16:28, 1Samuel 28:15).  The Bible even alludes to strong men who died by falling on their own sword (1 Chronicles 10:5).

Some consider suicide an unpardonable sin. The Bible does not support this as truth. Yes, the sixth Commandment says 'Thou shalt not kill." But, Moses murdered a man, even fled to the countryside to avoid punishment; but, clearly God pardoned his sin (Exodus 2:11-15). There are many other Bible outlaws who murdered that God went on to use for His Glory and the greater good.

Personally, I don't believe suicide is the wisest choice. Your heart is beating for a reason bigger than what's going on in your life right now. I grew up in a culture where therapy was only for the insane. Thankfully, this ridiculous myth is lessening; but, even so, it is reported that funding is far from adequate, explaining why so few people seek and receive help. Certainly, credentials for the helping-profession need to be less stringent when working with clients expressing non-life-threatening concerns. Also, liability and costs for service should be lowered. Of course, this means fewer dollars to Big-Pharma and, a close second, the fat coffers of colleges and universities; so don't hold your breath.

To the Sweeten family, my condolences. On behalf of everyone who has recently lost a loved one, particularly to suicide, my condolences. Why God doesn't intercept some acts is one of life's many mysteries.Most likely, the answer remains shrouded because its far beyond our ability to process. In the days, years ahead, a family will find strength, hopefully in faith and spiritual counseling, to not so much understand, but gradually accept that suicide is a choice.

My inner-therapist would love to know if he was on prescription meds for mental help. This seems to be the go-to solutions for anyone admitting to anxiety on any level. I am a believer in the holistic-approach to healing; getting to the root of the problem is imperative to grasping the solution. Clearly, happy-pills have consequence and should be used for stabilizing a client, not creating dependency.

Allow me to end with this thought: Jesus ministered to many. He didn't write synthetic prescriptions as the answer for healing. But, He did point to ways one could be healed. For this reason, the APA might do well to shed more emphasis on a faith-based approach to helping; though, again, it's not likely they will.

Blessings all. Hold on for the journey. Yes, you are right! Life is messy and murky; but, we have to trust that as long as God keeps our heart ticking, we should fulfill HIS purpose. I wish I believed in easy-way outs. I don't. What's to say we show up on the other side prematurely, and the same aggravations on this side are waiting for us on the next. Except now, we hear the annoying echo: "NOW WHAT???"  til our official death date. For the sake of all beloved, push through adversity. TALK TO SOMEBODY! I hope it's me. I'm always here. If your purpose is blurry, ask God to give you clarity. He will.

Here's a link that might shed some light:
http://jasonfoundation.com/prp/