Dogs

August 14, 2019

Winston Churchill used to call it his “black dog.” This greatest statesman of the 20th Century almost singlehandedly held England together with his oratory through the bleakest years of World War II, when England stood alone against Nazi domination of Europe. Plenty of others were urging compromise and conciliation with Germany, hoping to placate Hitler. Churchill’s mastery of political speech cemented his refusal to appease or surrender in the minds and hearts of the British Empire, building the national will to resist and fight when it seemed all was lost. Even today, his speeches have the power to stir the soul. 

But what most people didn’t know was this man whose words held people spellbound and injected courage into faint hearts himself carried a burden that has crushed lesser men. This man who inspired others and ultimately saved Western civilization fought a private battle with depression—his “black dog.”

Churchill’s nemesis is the plague of our generation. Never before have so many people been diagnosed with and medicated for depression. For a generation that’s supposed to be the “most connected” generation in history, our alienation and loneliness have reached epidemic proportions, with suicide among the top killers of teens and young adults.

A story is told of an old Indian who spoke of two dogs inside him, battling for control of his life. One was a good dog, the other bad. “Which one wins?” his listener asked.

“The one I feed.”

I cannot claim to have dealt with depression. I’ve never been so down I couldn’t get out of bed or cope with life, but for years I lived under a cloud, a melancholy that though it didn’t drag me to the bottom, it did hold me down from reaching joyful highs. There were no wild mood swings; just the steady drone of grey. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the bad dog was winning because I was feeding it and starving the good dog. The Bible tells us to “bring every thought captive to Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5), and to think on things that are “true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8), and to “set [our minds] on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2). With all the acrimony, corruption, and moral rot that characterizes our political and social conversations, it’s no wonder people are depressed. When we Christians allow ourselves to get caught up in such talk and thinking, it shouldn’t surprise us that our peace and joy evaporates. 

I am thankful tonight that there is a better way. Jesus taught us to be thankful in every circumstance, to offer praise and thanksgiving at all times. He was not unaware of the evil all around him when he gave such commands. He didn’t live in a better world. But he knew that a ship doesn’t sink because of the water around it. It sinks when the water gets into it. When we allow the mindset of the world around us to get inside us, our ship will sink. The only way to prevent that is to plug the holes with gratitude, which is what I do tonight.