When Lloyd and Gwendolyn Carr’s daughter-in-law took her own life, the couple not only turned to their faith and each other for comfort, but they also turned to writing.

Gwendolyn wrote poetry to express and work through her grief. Lloyd, professor emeritus of Biblical and theological studies at Gordon College, Wenham, Mass., searched the Bible and Christian history to see what he could learn about Christians struggling in the aftermath of suicide. The result was a book they called Fierce Goodbye, now published by Herald Press.

Their work and story of coping with suicide is the topic of this week’s Shaping Families radio program. Both Lloyd and Gwen join the program to explore questions such as “Is suicide a sin?,” with Gwen reading from her poetry. They also appeared earlier in the TV documentary from Third Way Media, Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide. 

Shaping Families radio program airs each weekend on 15 local radio stations and online at www.ShapingFamilies.com. The website features a weekly blog, related resources, study guides, and free offers for listeners. Shaping Families is produced by Third Way Media through Mennonite Mission Network.