Please Stay: Scott Erickson and Justin McRoberts Plunge the Deep Waters of Being ‘In The Low’

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Nov 5, 2025

In a deeply moving conversation, singer-songwriter Justin McRoberts and visual artist Scott Erickson explore the intersections of creativity, faith, and depression. Both co-authors of 'In the Low', they share personal experiences with mental health and how art can act as a companion in dark times. Key topics include the importance of identity separate from depression, the process of writing prayers, and how creating can help navigate grief. They offer hope and comfort for anyone facing life's isolating lows, reminding us that there is treasure in the struggle.

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ANECDOTE

Locked In A Tour Bus Bathroom

Justin told a touring story where he got locked in a bus bathroom before a show and caused backstage chaos.
The mishap became a humorous tale they later shared from the stage.

ADVICE

Stay With The Low As A Practice

Stay in the low rather than rushing to fix it; allow it to be a companion and process.
Use presence and permission to sit with darkness while collecting practices that help you endure.

INSIGHT

Fruit Grows Through The Low

Seasons of depression can produce unexpected spiritual growth and 'fruit' after the fact.
Scott reframes low periods as processes that yield creativity and spiritual treasures later.

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Description:

In this heartfelt episode, Jen and Amy welcome friends, Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson, to delve into the tender complexities of depression, creativity, and faith. Together, Scott and Justin have built a body of work around the intersection of art, prayer, and healing, including their newest project: In the Low: A Prayerbook for the Seasons of Depression. Today they share personal stories and insights on how art and spirituality can serve as companions through life's most isolating lows.

This episode offers a compassionate perspective on navigating mental health challenges and finding hope in unexpected places. If you've ever found yourself in a season that was super dark or unbearably heavy, this conversation will bring you comfort.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

“When depression eventually would lift in my life, I noticed that I'd think, ‘Where did this fruit come from? Where did this treasure come from?’ It came through going through this process. You might feel void of it when you're in it, you're just trying to get through it or be in it or be functional every day. But there is something happening.” – Scott Erickson
“What are the comforting words I need for today? How can my conscious mind provide something for my subconscious and my soul? How can my conscious mind provide some handles for me for this day, for this week, for this moment?” – Justin McRoberts
“Your disappointment in the religious systems you've been a part of is a gift and those systems need it. There's something really institutionally beautiful and necessary to whole swaths, thousands and thousands of people sharing the same set of disappointments. Follow that thread.” – Scott Erickson
“You aren't wrong to feel the things you are feeling. Life is hard. The machinery is beating the snot out of you. Stay. Please stay long enough to see what might be down there and learn to breathe. My hope is not that you rise to the surface, though I do hope that. My hope is that you learn to breathe at this depth.” – Justin McRoberts

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - https://988lifeline.org/
Nichole Nordeman - https://www.instagram.com/nicholenordeman
Prayer: Forty Days of Practice by Scott Erickson and Justin McRoberts - https://amzn.to/4hDMVsM
May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer by Scott Erickson and Justin McRoberts - https://amzn.to/3WsKFL5
Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now by Scott Erickson - https://amzn.to/3LeVIFc
In the Low: Honest Prayers for Dark Season by Scott Erickson and Justin McRoberts - https://amzn.to/3LaIB87
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari - https://amzn.to/4nsvrAR
Matt Haig - https://amzn.to/4o7CTlV
Scott Erickson Paints an Honest Picture of an Advent Season of Hope - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-64/scott-erickson-paints-an-honest-picture-of-an-advent-season-of-hope/

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