I don’t pretend to know Anne Jackson. Sure, I know she is a writer and a speaker and that she has worked in churches. I know that she has a relatively popular blog called Flowerdust.net, a published book called Mad Church Disease and one coming out next year called Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession and Grace, which is a take on the PostSecret phenomenon that asks people to use words, images, heart and creativity to ask the question: what is one thing you think you can’t say in church.  I also know that she has traveled to India with Compassion International; will be biking 3000 miles this summer with the Ride:Well tour to raise money for clean water in Africa and that she, despite her youth, had heart surgery earlier this year.

What I didn’t know until yesterday was that Anne is diagnosed bipolar.

I feel comfortable writing about it, because she did. In a courageous and honest post on her blog titled: The Stigma of Bipolar Disorder which caught my eye when I read a Tweet: “Just took my first Topamax. Goodbye little fella. Do well, Do well.” 

I look forward to reading more about Anne’s journeys – into the world and into deeper knowledge of herself. Like I said, I do not pretend to know Anne Jackson. But what I do know is, she is one of the brave ones. The ones who live a rich and fruitful life in the midst of their challenges. The ones who are humbled and enlightened enough to admit flaws and seek healing in all areas of herself – physical, emotional and spiritual – without allowing personal or societal bias to stop her. What a spectacular example for women – young and old…

This is the third in a series of posts related to High Calling Blogs “12 Days of Community,” an attempt to turn the tables on online chatter toward sharing the gifts, achievements and activities of others rather than ourselves…

Post 3 of 12

Post 1: L.L. Barkat  

Post 2: Nicholas Kristof