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In the World–September 28, 2025

Download “In the World” for September 28, 2025, here.

SUFFERING IN SILENCE

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in the United States. Depression and anxiety are among the conditions associated with suicide. The kinds of people likely to be depressed are in all walks of life: an elderly person grieving the loss of a spouse, a young adult who struggles to find a job, preteens with anxiety disorders, a postpartum mother, or anyone experiencing a sudden life transition. “I just want [people] to understand,” says wellness professional Alyssa Kwasny, “that if they are going through something personally, that they’re not alone, and that hope is out there, and that they know that they matter, and that this is something that a lot of people experience, and that it can be common, and that there’s help out there when they need it.” The national suicide and crisis hotline is available by calling or texting 988.

THE SUFFERING SERVANT

Today’s reading from Isaiah 53 is the prophet’s divine revelation that God would send someone to be his instrument for taking away the sin of us all. This servant would be rejected, hated, and treated unjustly, yet he would suffer in silence, never opening his mouth against his oppressors. He would be the Lord’s faithful ambassador, and yet he would be despised by all.

  1. Who do you know who might be suffering from depression right now? How can you check in with them today?
  2. Why do you think the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 does not cry out or protest his treatment?
  3. In what ways do you think this suffering servant sounds like (or unlike) a coming king?

Additional Resources

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David C Cook Editorial

Author David C Cook Editorial

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