Suicide Statistics in the News.

“‘Are we doing the right things? Could we be doing more?'”

That are the two questions I find in the article “Tackling silence on suicide statistics.” (The Northland Age, Thursday, July 6, 2017)

In the developed world the teen suicide rate in New Zealand is the worst. For almost 20 years the toll has remained largely unchanged. Every 67 hours on average a young person in this country commits suicide.

There are several organisations where worried young people can get help and talk to someone.

The following are listed with phone numbers:
LIFELINE, SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE, YOUTHLINE, KIDSLINE, WHATSUP, DEPRESSION HELPLINE and SAMARITANS.

But what the young people really need and what all of us need is HOPE, not any kind of hope, but the hope the Bible tells us about. And if we are not talking about the hope the Bible speaks about to the young people, I think we are not quite “‘doing the right things.”‘

In Hebrews 6:19,20 we read:
“WE HAVE THIS HOPE AND AN ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL, FORM AND SECURE. IT ENTERS THE INNER SANCTUARY BEHIND THE CURTAIN, WHERE JESUS, WHO WENT BEFORE US, HAS ENTERED ON OUR BEHALF.”

“AN ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL”