On April 24th, we hosted the 8th annual Carver Conversation titled: “A Balm in Gilead: Shared Grief and Healing in Faith Community,” featuring Dr. Nii Addy (Albert E. Kent Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale School of Medicine), Dr. Lydia Dugdale (Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at Columbia University), and chaplain Joon (J.S.) Park. 

This conversation, moderated by Christi Brandenstein (MAC, LPC, and Executive Director of CrossRoads Counseling), engaged the difficult topic of mental health and loss, and the toll it takes on society, community, and healthcare providers. What does “on earth as it is in heaven” look like when a community is reeling from a sudden loss, a crisis, or caretaker burnout? When Jesus is our promised “balm in Gilead” how do we share that hope when all feels hopeless? 

J.S., Dr. Dugdale, and Dr. Addy shared practical ways we can love each other through loss and grief, and how we can become a stronger community when we lean into some of life’s most painful realities—all the while claiming the hope of the resurrection.

A discussion between Jessica Hooten Wilson, Francis Su, and Phil Vischer, moderated by TCP Faculty Fellow, John Hendrix.

Jesus’s ministry showed strikingly little interest in political influence, cultural power, and simple solutions. His mission seems to stand in direct contrast with many of the priorities of the modern world, both inside and outside the church. It can be challenging to understand how, exactly, we are called to be ‘salt’ and ‘light.’ Our panelists will discuss how we can inhabit a healthy Christian identity in the church, the university, and the greater world. The discussion will span across art, math, literature and contemporary issues, illuminating the many facets of the question: What does a faithful presence look like in our world today?