Forbidden Topic

Church is where many go to worship and to study more about the tenets of faith, but it is also a place of sanctuary and where it should be safe to share your problems with other believers. Yet there remains a few topics that are seemingly off-limits for discussion, and one of those is depression. Despite the fact that many of the leaders of the faith we read about in the Bible suffered through bouts of depression, a lot of churches gloss over those portions of the Bible or refuse to acknowledge that a Christian can be depressed.

There are examples given all throughout the Bible. They include men, women, rich, poor, powerful, helpless, old, and young. Some of the chapters in Psalms that resonate most with me were written by David during times of discouragement and despair. Jeremiah became a prophet for his people at a young age, and went through many periods of depression as he reached out to God's people.

One of the themes of Beyond the Farthest Star is the deep depression suffered by the pastor's teen daughter, Anne Wells. Instead of a church family that embraces her and seeks to help Anne and the Wells family, there is a distance that is emotional and leads to a physical distance as they move to a church in a small Texas town. But, is simply starting over in another town without properly addressing the problems a relief or merely more burden piled upon this young girl? Is lack of support from the church something that needs confronted?

Bodie and Brock Thoene further explored the issues of Anne and other characters in their Beyond the Farthest Star novel, based on the screenplay by Andrew Librizzi. A perfect companion piece to the film, you can order both the book and the DVD at BeyondTheFarthestStar.com/Shop

If you need someone to talk to or more info about where to get help for depression, contact Beyond the Farthest Star at BeyondTheFarthestStar.com/Reach-Out

Depression

Cherami Leigh and Tyler Corie

Depression is a problem that seems to run rampant at this time of year. Whether it is the pressure of feeling the "holiday spirit" or a myriad of real, or even perceived, problems there is no doubt that the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day can exacerbate emotions. The pressure of trying to live up to expectations or the disconnect from loved ones can increase feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and despair. This can be a time of bonding or a time when everything falls apart.

For teens, there is the added stress of being between childhood and becoming an adult. Everything always seems so much more intense and important during those years. I remember wanting to pull away from family and establish myself as my own person, yet a part still longing to cling to my childhood. At no other time is the heights of exhilaration and the depths of despair more keenly felt. During a season filled with family events, it is so easy to withdraw and no longer feel a part of those you once loved unconditionally. Finding out that your parents are indeed human can be a shock. Admittedly, the parents also wonder what happened to the sweet, pliable child who believed Mom and Dad knew everything and could solve any problem.

Beyond The Farthest Star tells the story of a father desperate to connect with his Goth daughter and regain the love of his wife. The rush of this season pulls us in so many different directions that we often lose sight of those who should matter the most to us. Instead of letting our families know how important they are to us, we concentrate on things that will be quickly forgotten in years to come and neglect what and whom really matters. We have become a culture where families appear to be a throw-away commodity, and we need films such as this to make us re-examine our own priorities. I truly believe this will be a film that can make an impact on the lives of millions.  

 

Of course, I want everyone to become a Facebook fan of Beyond the Farthest Star and to sign up to Bring It to your local cinema. They need people like you to support them and let distributors and local theater owners know that there is an audience. Either go to the website at www.beyondthefartheststar.com or ......Click here to "LIKE" on Facebook 

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TEEN SELF HARM: In Pathlight Entertainment's, Beyond The Farthest Star, the character Anne Wells (Cherami Leigh) struggles with depression. The movie takes an unflinching look at the subject. Teen Depression and self-mutilation is a very real issue.

A site that I personally would recommend is TWLOHA .

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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. They do not represent or have the consent and/or knowledge of Pathlight Entertainment, Beyond The Farthest Star, or TWLOHA.