Healing What's Within

July 15, 2024
DeGroat (When Narcissism Comes to Church), a pastoral care professor at Western Theological Seminary, grounds this empathetic meditation on “reconnecting” with oneself in moments of crisis on the biblical account of Adam and Eve’s fall from grace. Like much of scripture, the story is on its face one of “alienation and exile,” as Adam and Eve, riddled with anxiety and shame, are “interrogated” by God. But when they’re framed compassionately, DeGroat suggests, the questions God asks can guide one through a process of self-examination and healing. For example, “where are you?” is an invitation to take stock of one’s life and suffering; “who told you?” is a call to recognize past pains that block connection to God; and “have you eaten from the tree?” is an encouragement to tap into a “deep hunger” for meaning that often gets filled with superficial coping mechanisms like binge eating and redirect it to seeking “union and communion with God.” Buttressed by therapeutic insight, reflection exercises, and suggested practices including yoga and breath work, DeGroat’s creative and sympathetic interpretation recasts the fall as a story defined by both sin and the promise of “restoration and redemption.” Christians seeking spiritual and emotional succor should take note.