A Balm for Gilead: Meditations on Spirituality and the Healing Arts

A recognition that all illness and all healing is spiritual. As a physician and a person the possibility is raised that there may be a "balm".

This book discusses in a beautiful way how God in Christ can be met in the midst of the often-heartbreaking challenges of today's American healthcare system. As a medical student, I found that his "Meditations" places our role as healthcare professionals caring for the sick within a broader redemptive context of God's plan for His creation. I highly recommend this book for those who find themselves frustrated with the current situation of medical care and seek renewal of hope for its future.

You can read through this in 4-5 hours, but if you don't go back and read each chapter slowly, savoring the the richness of Sulmasy's wisdom and insights, you will miss two-thirds of what's here. I anticipate using it with a group of physicians who meet monthly to discuss material of this sort. We'll take a chapter a month, and I'm convinced that the sharing and self-reflection will be greatly appreciated. Many providers today are looking for this kind of depth, although some find it hard to admit as much to their colleagues.