3 | Erik’s Story: Chronic Illness, Suicidal Thoughts, and the Healing Power of Literature

When Erik was 12 years old, he got really sick. Like really sick. His adolescence was characterized by constant vomiting, isolation, and getting lost in books. After surviving thoughts of suicide in high school, he began a long journey of rest and rebellion. Erik tells us how timeless works of literature and the characters within them has helped him to realize a tremendous truth: Loving others is a result of believing that you yourself are loved.

 

References:

- "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien

- "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri

- "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis

- "Art and Faith: A Theology of Making" by Makoto Fujimura

- "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

- "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne