As soon as I saw this New York Times feature story, As Overdose Deaths Pile
Up, a Medical Examiner Quits the Morgue, I knew I had to have Dr. Thomas
Andrew on the show.

A shift from our typical author guest, Dr. Andrew is working on an
incredible career pivot-in-progress. Upset by how many opioid deaths he
observed after 20 years as a forensic pathologist who performed over 5,800
autopsies in the morgue, he recently retired and is heading to divinity
school so that he can counsel people in his community while they’re still
alive. I’m fascinated by his story, and I know you’ll love this
conversation too about his views on life, death, learning, faith,
resiliency, empathy, and next moves.

An excerpt from the NYT article: 

"After laboring here as the chief forensic pathologist for two decades,
exploring the mysteries of the dead, he retired in September to explore the
mysteries of the soul. In a sharp career turn, he is entering a seminary
program to pursue a divinity degree, and ultimately plans to minister to
young people to stay away from drugs.

With 64,000 overdose deaths last year nationwide — a staggering 22 percent
jump over the previous year — it is little wonder that overdoses, the
leading cause of death among Americans under 50, are reducing life
expectancy. They are also straining the staffs and resources of morgues,
and causing major backlogs.

“After seeing thousands of sudden, unexpected or violent deaths,” Dr.
Andrew said, “I have found it impossible not to ponder the spiritual
dimension of these events for both the deceased and especially those left
behind.”

View full show notes at PivotMethod.com/podcast/ministry. Support the show
and become a founding member of the Pivot Podcast community on Patreon by
donating $1 a show at Patreon.com/pivot.