Each time a pastoral suicide hits the news cycle, the Christian and secular publishing worlds forge an awkward alliance in an attempt to sort through the obvious question that is pressing in on everyone’s mind: how can—or how does—a pastor get to the point where he would make the decision to end his own life?

It’s a good question, and it’s a question that needs to be explored humbly and prayerfully for the sake of current and future shepherds and the overall health of Christ’s church.