I was a psych aide on a mental health ward for about 6 years back in the early 70’s. It was quite an education.
My 35 year old great nephew died of his schizophrenia about a year ago.
And then a couple years before that the daughter of one of our pastors died of her schizophrenia. She was a young attractive nurse who went back and forth between relative psychological stability and then instability.

The medications have changed,not at all sure that our understanding of the disease has changed.

Can there be a spiritual element?
Can there be a genetic element?
Can there be a behavioral element?

I still cling to the believe that God is righteous, just and loving. He never says,”oops.”

Do I, finite human that I am, understand His plan? No,but I believe He can never be injust.

As for St Ephrem –
A damsel of noble birth had been seduced by an official (Paramonarius, i.e., sacristan, or perhaps rather, steward) of the church, named likewise Ephraim. When pregnancy ensued and her frailty was detected, she at the instance of her paramour charged Ephraim the pious Catechumen as being the author of her shame. Her father laid the matter before the Bishop, who in much grief and consternation summoned his disciple to answer the accusation. The youth received it at first in amazed silence; but finally made answer, “Yea, I have sinned; but I entreat thy Holiness to pardon me.” Even after this seeming acknowledgment of guilt, however, the Bishop was unconvinced, and prayed earnestly that the truth might be revealed to him: but in vain,—a more signal clearing was in store for the humble and blameless youth. When the child of shame was born, and the father of the frail damsel required him to undertake the charge of it, he repeated his seeming confession of guilt to the Bishop; he received the infant into his arms: he openly entered the church carrying it; and he besought the congregation with tears, saying, “Entreat for me, my brethen, that this sin be pardoned to me.” After thus bearing for some days the burden of unmerited reproach, he perceived the great scandal caused to the people, and began to reflect that his meek acceptance of calumny was doing harm. On the following Sunday, therefore, after the Eucharist had been administered, he approached the Bishop in church in presence of the people, carrying the infant under his mantle, and obtained his permission to enter the bema (not the pulpit, but the raised sanctuary where the altar stood). Before the eyes of the astonished congregation, he produced the babe, held it up in his right hand, facing the altar, and cried aloud, “Child, I call on thee and adjure thee by the living God, who made heaven and earth and all that therein is, that thou confess and tell me truly, who is thy father?” The infant opened its mouth and said, “Ephraim the paramonarius.” Having thus spoken, it died that same hour. The people and the Bishop received this miraculous vindication of the wrongfully accused with amazement and tears; the father of the sinful mother fell on his knees and cried for forgiveness; the true partner of her sin fled and was seen in Nisibis no more; Satan was confounded; and Ephraim was restored to more than all the favour and affection he enjoyed before

Gwynn, John. 1898. “Ephraim the Syrian and Aphrahat: Introductory Dissertation.” In Gregory the Great (Part II), Ephraim Syrus, Aphrahat, edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, 13:122. A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series. New York: Christian Literature Company.

Wouldn’t it be good if such things happened today?

Lowlandseer,

A propos; those who die before birth and all the young who die, are praying for us.

Jack,

I was being sarcastic Jack.

Jack,

No worries. I was waiting for the TWW stalwarts to cry “abuse” and open a case against him. lol