I don’t know that I’ll do justice to tonight’s Kairos theme. I’m still trying to process it myself, and that could take a few more days. Basically, it was a Q&A between Chris Brooks and the Brentwood Baptist Church Minister of Pastoral Care, Ken Corr.

I suppose my takeaway is that if you’re walking with someone going through anxiety or depression, your job isn’t to analyze or judge or assess or otherwise try to fix them. Your job is to be a friend, to love them, and to help get them to the kind of help they need from people who are licensed and trained to deal with specific kinds of anxiety or depression.

If you suspect that someone you know may be suicidal, you can ask them one question: “Are you thinking of harming yourself?”

Your job isn’t to try to talk someone out of taking their own life. Your job is to get them to the kind of help they need, even if that means getting the police involved. It’s better to have a friend who’s made at you and alive than a friend who you were the last person to talk to.

I don’t pretend to understand the mindset of that kind of depression. I’ve never been to that place. I know that it’s not something that you can simply wish away or pray away. Sometimes, it’s a matter of a chemical imbalance. Sometimes, you need counseling and medication. As much as I believe God heals, I also believe He works through the hands of psychiatrists and counselors.

The one takeaway for you is that you should know that you’re not in it alone. There are people who can help. There are people who have been where you are. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.