The Power of Friendship

I’ve got quite a story for you, if you’re struggling with depression. 

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and it’s the story of William Cowper, the English poet who wrote many Christian hymns. This remarkably gifted man loved Jesus; he loved his Word. But he was haunted by the cold, dark fire of depression that burned in his bones, as my friend Scott Hubbard puts it. For 27 years, suicidal despair constantly haunted William Cowper. It hounded him and imprisoned him in a cage of emotional and spiritual midnight. For all that time, all those years, suicide was a constant enticement. And yet, in all those 27 years, William Cowper was not consumed. His faith did not fail.   

Perhaps one reason is, his treasured friend, John Newton, the famous pastor who penned the hymn “Amazing Grace.” Newton did not abandon, he did not give up on his friend, William Cowper. He stood by him and to this day, their friendship is a testimony to those who suffer chronic depression. Friends really can, they do make a difference. And oh, for Christian friends, right?, who will stand by you when you suffer maybe from mental illness or bipolar disorder or clinical depression.   

And because John Newton remained a close friend, William Cowper was able to express his gratitude, his hope and faith and perseverance through beautiful poems and hymns. Before he died, he wrote, “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath the flood lose all their guilty stains.” I sing it a lot. Oh, and he also wrote:  

 “God moves in a mysterious way,  
 His wonders to perform. 
 He plants his footsteps in the sea,  
 And rides upon the storm.  
 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; 
 The clouds ye so much dread 
 Are big with mercy and shall break  
 In blessings on your head.”  

It amazes me that those lines were written by a man whose soul was tormented by years of dark depression. And it’s why in May of 1800 when John Newton gave the sermon at William Cowper’s funeral, he read from Exodus chapter 3. He opened his Bible and said, “The angel of the Lord appeared unto [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and [Moses] looked, and, behold, the bush was burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” John Newton closed the text and said, “My friend William Cowper was indeed a bush in flames for 27 years, yet he was not consumed.” 

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and I’m remembering the friendship between John Newton and Cowper, plagued by delusions, nightmares and suicide attempts, and I tell you, I think God must have a special blessing for precious Christians who journey alongside their friends with mental illness. Who bear with their weaknesses; who listen to their woes; and who do not insist on quick fixes. Some chronic depression is just that – it’s chronic. But if William Cowper could speak, he’d thank God for not only John Newton, but any friend who prays for and walks beside those with mental illness. I’ve posted a video today at joniradio.org called “Can God Bring Good From Suffering.” ’Cause I believe that, yes, good can even come out of the darkest depression. You’ve got friends who understand your need for hope in hardship, so visit us today at joniradio.org. 

 “A Friend in the Fire,” by Scott Hubbard, Desiring God, November 5, 2020 

 © Joni and Friends