Depressive mood can spread in a community like an epidemic. This is especially true when suicidal cases are continuously reported. It makes us think about how we are vulnerable to it. We commonly perceive that depressive mood is usually rooted in failure, but it can begin even after a great victory. Elijah, a hero of ancient Israel, was mentioned in the Bible as afraid and fled for his life after defeating 450 false prophets. I found it not easy to understand when I first read the story. Elijah left his servant and fled to Beersheba after a significant victory. Why did he go on alone into the wilderness and travel all day? Here is the most ridiculous. He sat under a solitary broom tree and prayed to the Lord to take his life. He saw the Lord worked several mighty miracles, yet he was afraid and depressed. Between his exhaustion and his emotions spiraling downward after the high of victory, he was susceptible to depression. Do we especially feel vulnerable to the depressive mood after a major victory? Normally, it is not. But when I looked into the verse, I found the trick. “Elijah prayed to the Lord: “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” - 1 Kings 19:4. Again, it is a comparison. How many prospective great men could not exercise their greatness just because of unnecessary comparison?
