Honestly, Abe Was Depressed

     If he lived today, Lincoln would not be known as Honest Abe, but as Depressed Abe. He suffered so severely that sometimes he fell into an unresponsive, catatonic stupor even in public.   
      Lincoln certainly weathered events that warranted despondency: lost elections, the death of a child, a fractured marriage, and a fractured nation. But his gloom was so deep that today he would probably be classified as genetically or biologically depressed.     
     How did he survive? Lincoln found some relief by telling jokes, reading poetry, and gaining perspective through scripture, according to Joshua Wolf Shenk. In “Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness,” Shenk says the president’s misery actually shaped his character so he could carry our nation through its Uncivil War.     
     We all face depression at times. Some find help from medicine. Others of us turn to activities such as walks, music, and friendship. When we can’t shed our sadness, we can take heart in what first century teacher Paul of Tarsus learned, that suffering produces perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope when we realize that our troubles aren’t in vain. It’s amazing: as we lean on God, he recycles the bad into something good.    
​     Honestly, that can help us weather our worst Uncivil Wars.