You can listen to this week’s Devotional here
Author: Karen Hoover
Recently, while making a 1,500 mile road trip in Western Australia with Australian friends, we kept passing brightly painted blue trees. Usually on the outskirts of a town, or located in a city park, these striking anomalies among the eucalyptus raised the obvious question, “Why are these trees blue?” My first thought was that they were a part of some regional art installation. Instead, we learned from our friends that they are part of a community-based nationwide Australian campaign to promote mental health and suicide prevention.
Using the eye-catching blue trees and the slogan “R U OK?”, the campaign encourages everyone to notice signs of mental health struggle in friends, family, partner and colleagues and to take the initiative to ask, “Are you okay?”. The goal is to start conversations about emotional wellbeing, and to help people feel supported and connected by reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.
R U OK? was created in 2009 by an advertising executive, Gavin Larkin, in response to the tragic suicide of his father, Barry Larkin. Feeling helpless and consumed by grief, Gavin Larkin channeled his time and energy to create the campaign. In Australia, R U OK Day is held on the second Thursday each September. In 2024, that’s Thurs, Sept 12. On this day, and throughout the year, Australian celebrities, sports figures, and even businesses join in asking the question, R U OK? through engaging multi-media campaigns.
Seeing these blue trees and learning about the R U OK? campaign got me reflecting on the important efforts of our congregation’s Mental Health Ministry and the significance of our congregation’s WISE covenant (We Welcome, Include, Support and are Engaged). Members of the Mental Health Ministry serve tirelessly to help address the mental health and emotional support needs of the members of our congregation and of our wider community. Our ministers are skilled and caring in responding to those who come through our doors looking for help. Together we provide significant financial resources through our Benevolence Funds and additional special offerings to non-profit organizations serving those in our community needing material and emotional support. And right now we are sponsoring Christmas in August for RISE, whose mission is to help prevent suicide among teenagers by providing needed counseling without long wait times. To make a donation, visit the Christmas tree in the Link this Sunday for the QR code.
Might we now consider placing a blue tree on our Broadway-facing church property to extend the community conversation in Boulder? With a placard reading R U OK? and a weather-proof sleeve of leaflets listing community mental health resources, who knows who might be helped? And perhaps one day the Boulder Valley will be dotted with blue trees—reminding us all that we are not alone and that caring people and resources are available.