Suicide, depression, eating disorders, and other mental health illnesses have dramatically increased among adolescents in recent decades. Our American culture demands high levels of success and propagates a «feel good» attitude that denies pain, loss, and failure. Churches contribute to these distressing realities among youth. Our theology associates «being happy» with «true faithfulness» to God, overemphasizing praise and thanksgiving while neglecting lament, even though lament comprises the...
