Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Mental Health and Faith (page 2 of 41)

The exodus

EXODUS Everyone did what they could to find safety–young and old. They were grateful for the food, shelter, and protection provided by Bangladesh, a country with great needs of its own. In an area called Cox’s Bazar, they created communities made up of a sprawling network of 33 camps. With a population of over a […]

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But they clung to their faith and traditions

They fled with everything they could carry in their arms, leaving behind their homes and the lives they had built. But they didn’t leave behind their faith and traditions. Telling the Rohingya about the great love Jesus had for those the world had turned its back on reminds me of a song I used to […]

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“Be like children”

Photo by Mohammed Imran HUMBLE AND EAGER TO LEARN [Jesus] called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is […]

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Despite hardship and uncertainty

Photo by Mohammed Salim Khan HOPE LIVES ON “. . . The Rohingya people continue their daily lives with resilience. Children play on dusty paths, families gather near makeshift shelters, and hope lives on in every step they take. This is not just survival—this is strength.” – MD Jamal “So do not fear, for I […]

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Yes, we struggle

Photo by Mohammed Imran AND YET WE SURVIVE “As Rohingya refugees, we survive with limited resources year-round—but when the rains arrive, our struggle deepens. Our shelters—made of bamboo and tarpaulin—cannot withstand strong winds or heavy rainfall. Flooding, landslides, and waterlogging become daily threats. Some families lose everything overnight. Others live in fear, watching their walls […]

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He lifted me out

A MEMORY ONE DAY? I waited patiently for the Lord;     he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:1-2 Do you ever get swamped by […]

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All of us together

MY PASSIONATE DESIRE – This morning, I was thinking about what I’m trying to do with this unusual Open Door initiative. I’m sure that many must be thinking I’m bizarre to think I can do something as revolutionary as this. But I think that God is a God of possibilities and I believe that this […]

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Open Door meetings

  SPIRITUAL SUPPORT – At Living Room’s Open Door there is one thing we all have in common. We are all looking for support from our peers as we try to find relief from our mental health challenges. But it is different from other kinds of support groups in that our spiritual needs are also […]

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Caring humbly

A DEVOTIONAL – A patient on a mental health ward was having a hard time, not able to cope. The staff couldn’t meet her needs. As a result, she was placed in a seclusion room where she would have a chance to calm down and not hurt herself. The room was uncomfortable, only containing a […]

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Introducing Jesus to other faiths

THE CHALLENGE How can we introduce Jesus as the healer he is to nonbelieving faiths? Can Jesus heal those who do not believe in his divine nature—the Son of God? Some will think this is impossible unless they were converted to Christianity. I believe that it is possible. I follow Jesus and believe all the […]

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