The Need To Believe

When writers Randi Henderson and Richard Marek wrote “Here is My Hope,” a collection of healing stories based on the statue of “Christ the Counselor” at Johns Hopkins Hospital, they connected to their readers with a universal theme: the desire to cling to hope while facing medical catastrophes.

One reader wrote that these stories show real heroes, “people who persevere in the face of a terrible enemy with only the simplest of weapons, a belief that God exists and will hear their heartfelt prayers.” Another said that the book inspires readers to find hope “at the foot of Christ.”

Many people find comfort looking at the statue, lit from above in the rotunda of the Billings Building. On the base of the statue is the inscription “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

"Christ the Counselor" is more than a religious symbol. It has been a launching point for hospital workers leaving for World War II, and the location for the annual Christmas carol service. The statue was included in the HBO movie, “Something the Lord Made.” This drama, filmed at Hopkins, showed the life-long partnership between African-American lab-assistant, Vivian Thomas, and surgeon Alfred Blalock.

In 1896, trustee William Wallace Spence presented the statue to the hospital. It is a replica of the statue of Christ in the cathedral of Copenhagen. Over the years, the toes of this 10 and ½ foot statue at Hopkins have been rubbed shiny by patients and hospital staff who have touched it.

There are other statues on the hospital grounds, but this one is the most famous. “Christ the Counselor” is always on view in the rotunda. It is a serene space for people of all faiths to stop to pray, and for others to ponder the blessings of health.

(Photo: The statue of "Christ the Counselor" at Johns Hopkins. Photo by L. Sponsler)