Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 9:1-3 (day three)
“The sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them.”
One of the hallmarks of a depressive state is the lack of care for the body, sometimes manifesting as the cessation of eating, apathy towards personal grooming, and lack of attention to hygiene. In such a state, time slows to a crawl and the seconds of the day stretch into one undifferentiated moment in which, from the standpoint of the person experiencing the mood disorder, nothing happens and no changes occur. The act of communal confession chronicled here does not present people in a depressive state. There is a pause in giving attention to the body, yes. There is a mood of deep solemnity and sorrow, certainly. But the people are experiencing a time of repair, not despair. God accepts them, the breach is healed, and they become whole.
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