In the photo: António Guterres, Secretary-general of the United Nations during his Ramadan visit in March 2025 said, “I have come to Bangladesh to express my solidarity with Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi communities hosting them.”
FAITH AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Jesus once said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ‘All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40) This principle of love for God and humanity is the same in Muslim as it is in Christian Scripture.
When things are bad, as they are today, especially for Rohingya, what is it that keeps you hanging on? What gives your life meaning? Many are asking these questions, especially amidst today’s chaos.
Harold Koenig, M.D., co-author of the book New Light on Depression wrote that “Love—unconditional love—is the ultimate long-term antidote for depression, for at its core love is connected with faith and hope.”
In other words, unconditional love—the kind of love Jesus lived out during his life on earth—could be looked on as the “ultimate long-term antidote for mental health challenges.” Such love is connected to the hope we will have when we hang onto our faith and allow the man called Jesus to be a part of it—no matter what kind of religious faith we might have.
The character traits that most endear Jesus to me are his humility, gentleness, and servanthood. Philippians 2:7 describes that humility:
. . . he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
Jesus was humble, from when he entered our world as a helpless baby to when he died. Through his life and teachings, the world learned that we are all worthy and created equal before God.
His life showed that he did not look down on the people around him. He did not look down on the sinful tax collector, the leper, or the demoniac. He touched them, spent time with them, talked to them. He was a giving person who served others rather than asking to be served.
Although I’ll never be able to do what Jesus did, he gave me an example of obedience that I want to follow. I want to follow his example of humility. I want to obey what God calls me to do.
Much of what God asks us to do will require courage, strength, and perseverance because the work can be challenging. Some of it may bring pain, even suffering. Yet, despite this, it’s a joy to know we’re not living for ourselves alone. Giving to others brings joy. Our lives become meaningful.
marja
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