Those of us with bipolar disorder (BPD) are intimately acquainted with mood swings, both the “ups” and the “downs.” Experts refer to these phases as manic (bipolar I) or hypomanic (bipolar II) on the one end, and depressive (bipolar depression, not to be confused with unipolar depression) on the other. I’ve often wondered if the Bible addresses these “poles” of experience. It may be a stretch, but let’s have a look at Psalm 121.
Before we do, let’s acknowledge the strong correlation between mania/hypomania and light. It is well known that the increased light (duration, strength) in spring and summer can often trigger mania. On the other hand, the decrease of light (duration, strength) in the fall and winter can often lead to depression. That’s why I use a light box in the morning. It helps to regulate my circadian rhythm, and it gives me a boost emotionally. I can heartily recommend it!
Now let’s get back to Psalm 121. In verses 5 and 6, speaking of the LORD, we read that He “is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” The first experience, the sun striking by day, could just simply refer to the prospect of heatstroke under intense sunshine. But let’s consider the second experience, of moon striking by night. The idea of being moonstruck is, at first glance, hard to understand. However, one interpretation by some commentaries relates being struck by the moon to having mental illness. In fact, the English word “lunacy” derives from the Latin word for moon (luna) in verse 6, “Per diem sol non percutiet te neque luna per noctem.” (You don’t have to be a Latin scholar to recognize “sol” (sun) and “luna” (moon) in this verse.)
It may be a stretch, but I believe we can see the two “poles” of BPD in this passage. For sure, those of us with BPD see our “up” phases as being periods of light and our “down” phases as being periods of darkness. When we are buoyed and euphoric by (hypo)mania, things are sunny. When we are dragged down by depression, things are dark.
Does this passage hold out any hope for being protected from sunstroke on the one hand and moonstroke on the other? I think so. Psalm 121 is all about lifting one’s eyes to the hills, to look for help from the LORD. The key Hebrew word in the Psalm is shamar, meaning “to keep, to watch, to preserve.” It occurs no less than six times. It's what God does. What the Psalmist recognizes, is that we are not alone in our struggles with mood swings. The LORD is there; He is our keeper, our Shamar. He acts to protect us. More than this, He is our shade on our right hand (verse 5).
So join me in looking to the hills, and in expecting the LORD to shield us from the extreme “ups” and “downs.” Trust in His shade!
Blessings!
The Christian Bipole
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