THE TRAGEDY:
Mental illness has gained prominence over the last two years due to the extreme anguish people have gone through as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mental illness was already a major concern pre-Covid pandemic with increase of diverse conflicts and rising cost of living in many parts of the world. Available resources and opportunities have continued to dwindle causing a strain at all levels of the social fabric.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the extreme measures taken by governments to try and slow down the spread of the virus caused more harm than good. Millions of people lost their jobs and livelihoods as the world economy was brought to a standstill. The curfews and lockdowns and shutting down of educational institutions rendered people immobile and unable to socialize while at the same time facing economic hardship, unable to meet their basic needs.
Family relationships were strained and many parents felt stranded with their children at home. One Kenyan lawyer who was interviewed in early 2021 said that the number of divorce cases his firm was handling had tripled within the one year that the Covid-19 pandemic had been around. There was increased reporting of violence within homes. Teenage pregnancies also increased significantly as young girls who were supposed to be engaged in school work were now just idling at home and became easy target to sex pests.
One notable effect that I observed was the increase in the number of auctioneers advertisement in the daily newspapers. For about three days every week, there would be and there still are between six and nine pages of properties listed for auction ranging from land, residential houses and commercial buildings and businesses. People lost properties worth hundreds of millions if not billions.
It’s a very painful experience to lose a home because a home is the place where you retreat to after facing your goliaths out there at work or business. It’s the place where you come back to rest and recharge for the battles of tomorrow. Owning a home is one of the greatest achievements in a person’s life especially if you live in any of the major towns and cities. For the majority of urban dwellers, rent can consume up to 30% of a person’s income.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) reported that over 5 million workers lost their jobs within one year of the virus outbreak. It is unimaginable the load of stress that these workers and their families went through. People have to eat, pay rent, water, electricity and with no income, these bills begin to accrue quickly and that is a recipe for mental stress.
Mental illness is the result of negative external experiences that overwhelm us beyond our capacity to cope. When the mind can’t process what’s happening and find a way to deal with the situation, then confusion sets in, hope is extinguished and the will to fight is lost. When the mind quits, the person slides into dangerous territory where they’re not fully in charge of their lives and decisions. Depending on the degree of hopelessness felt, people will react mildly by for example, feeling sad, have eating disorder or be withdrawn. Others unfortunately take extreme actions like committing suicide and others kill their entire family then commit suicide. It has been reported that in the first six months of 2021, over 500 Kenyans committed suicide.
The problems facing people are not unique to Kenya, the world over is full of stories of depression, violence, suicides, increased crime, destroyed livelihoods and relationships.
THE IDENTITY CRISIS
Mental illness is the direct result of the inner alteration of a person’s identity as a result of negative external changes. When our perception changes concerning who we’re, our behaviour is bound to change to conform to the new mental image we have of ourselves. The world defines and give us identities based on what we have. The job we have, the education we have, the car we drive, the neighbourhood we live in, the amount of money we possess, the lifestyle we lead and so on.
When these are threatened or taken away, most people feel lost and have no idea where and how to start again. This is especially devastating for the person who has no idea about their divine identity. Now, I’m not trying to downplay the pain of losing livelihood as that is always tough for anyone including for the born again, Holy Spirit filled and tongue talking Christian.
However, for the people whose lives are defined by the things they own, such will be far more impacted when they lose those things than the person who in addition to having things, also posses’ knowledge about their divine identity. A good example is Job in the Bible. Job was the richest man in the east during his time and in one day, he lost everything. He lost his wealth, his children, his health, his wife and his friends became his accusers. Job knew something else that kept him hopeful and grounded in the midst of his physical and mental anguish. He knew that his life was in the hands of God and he said, though God slew him, he would still trust Him.
Our identity does not come from our accomplishments or the things that we own or don’t own. Our identity was preordained by God before the earth was created and nothing can change that. Our divine identity carries in itself the power to overcome every contrary situation and circumstance that we may experience. That is what made Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Peter, Paul and countless other people to overcome difficult circumstances and come out triumphant in the end.
SO HOW CAN WE USE FASHION TO TACKLE MENTAL ILLNESS?
We can use fashion as a tool to create and paint a new mental picture that speaks and declares the divine identity of a person. Dressing is a powerful tool for expressing our identity and that is how God ordained it to be. Dressing is a means to express our identity as we engage in activities that aid us to fulfil our purpose. Through dressing, we express our personality, authority and power.
The Bible identifies the Christian as a soldier, ambassador, king, priest, bride, fruitful tree, athlete, etc. A soldier is not a quitter, a soldier endures hardness and sticks it out until victory is secured. With Jesus as our commander in chief, victory is always assured because He has never lost any battle. This understanding helps us to keep the right mental frame when everything is bleak all around us.
An ambassador is sent on behalf of his mother country. An ambassador does not support himself in the host country, neither does he depend on the state of the economy of the country he’s sent to. An ambassador is supported by his mother country. We’re in the world but not of the world. We’re sustained from heaven and heaven has no lack.
We may lose all of our earthly possessions but as long as we’re alive, we have a living hope. God is able to lift us up again and bless us and establish us. He did it for Jacob, he did it for the city of Samaria during a siege, he did it for Job, He did it for the widow who debtors wanted to take her sons and sell them as slaves, he did it for Joseph, for Esther, for the couple who ran out of wine in their wedding and He’s still doing it even now. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
As kings, God has given us authority and power to bind and loose. Authority to decree and declare His Word. We are called to establish heaven on earth as we co-labour with God to reconcile the world back to Him. We’re not helpless people subject to whatever Satan plans. We have power to resist the devil until he flees. We have power to turn around the contrary circumstances that we may face with the help of the Holy Spirit.
You get the drift. Now, fashion provides a platform to remind the children of God and to communicate to non-believers of the potential that is found within those who believe and trust in God. The dressing of a soldier paints the picture of the power to wage warfare and achieve victory. The dressing of an ambassador paints the picture of an important office/person, responsibility and someone who has the backing of his country’s resources. The dressing of a king signifies dominion, wealth, authority, power and influence.
The fashion designer is an identity translator and this position gives him or her a qualified and professional platform to remind people about their divine identity. This work of ministry can also be done by a wardrobe stylist, store merchandiser, fashion journalist, and anyone else working in the fashion industry and whose job entails a direct contact with consumers.
Fashion can be used to communicate stories (truth) through collections, audio visual presentations using various media and one on one interactions. As a professional in the fashion industry, you can help your customers and prospective customers to get in the right frame of mind by coming up with products that not only meet their dressing needs but also their mental and spiritual needs. You’re not in the business of selling clothes and accessories, you’re in the business of translating identities according to God’s divine purpose for each individual.
So, what practical ways can you implement in your fashion business to tackle mental health issues? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section, we would love to hear from you.
