What is Calamitalysis?

I recently read about a contest where teenagers were encouraged to invent a new word. Many of the respondents created words that reflect the reality of teenage life in today’s rapidly changing world. One of the words that caught my eye was this: calamitalysis. That’s spelled c-a-l-a-m-i-t-a-l-y-s-i-s. The word’s inventor defines calamitalysis as a debilitating stress or anxiety, derived from hopelessness about the terrifying problems of the world. With mental health issues like stress and anxiety on the rise among our kids, we won’t be surprised if calamitalysis catches on as an everyday word. This offers us a great opportunity to lead our kids into an understanding of God’s promised peace, protection, and presence for those who are in a relationship with him through Jesus Christ. We need to teach our kids that Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Without Jesus, we consign ourselves to a life of calamitalysis.