By Kate
Bradford
Historically chaplaincy involved cure/care of the soul[1].
These Soul Physicians worked alongside
the medical staff in seeking to cure the whole person. The cure of souls
required careful diagnosis, an aspect of care that our Puritan forebears took
very seriously[2]. The
activity of spiritual diagnosis is central to chaplaincy. Chaplaincy is a bespoke ministry, each encounter is
tailor made and carefully crafted to individuals to whom we are ministering. As
we listen to people we are consciously taking a spiritual history, listening
for losses, absences, presences, joys and distortions. There are no answers without
first hearing the complexity. When we do venture to speak it is with a scarcity of words: words carefully
chosen; sensitively placed; acknowledging less is more; leaving space.
We are working within the deep structures of a person’s
thought world, operating on foundational planks on which so much else rests. What
are the foundational planks: those points, on which almost everything else
turns?
We find an example of such a turning point in Luther’s
writings to Erasmus. For Luther any
free-will or human reasoning that contributed to salvation unravelled the whole
system: the system resorted to a works
system. Thus for Luther the absence of free-will, or human input into the
equation was the factor that secured the doctrine. Luther wrote to Erasmus,
You alone, in contrast to all the
others have attacked the real thing.........you and you alone have seen the
hinge on which all turns, and aimed for the vital spot.’[3]
Erasmus and Luther maintained diametrically opposed views over the
vital spot of free will. But Erasmus had isolated the hinge or point
on which the whole discussion turned, and Luther’s respect for an opponent who
actually understood him is recorded here. While Luther and Erasmus’s robust
debate differs markedly from chaplaincy, the point of connection around which
their conversation turns is not so different.
Conversations
glance off deep structures of thought and fragments appear in conversation.
These fragments are perhaps said more emphatically or sadly than other
comments; we as chaplains in turn respond to these hints. As a chaplain, coming
from a theological background, my training is in theology rather than
counselling or psychology. In helping people to transcend their present
circumstances, we apply theology or ‘God logic’ as we engage with people. These
hints or fragments provide a starting point and may indicate a turning point on
which so much else depends. Such turning points may be indicated by feelings of
confidence or worthlessness, doubt and shame, guilt, inadequacy, identity, security,
isolation, usefulness or meaningless, integrity or despair.[4]
There is no one-size-fits-all. For example guilt may link to a need for
forgiveness, but shame or self-loathing may link to a need to know God’s
unconditional love. For someone struggling with shame, God’s forgiveness may
have little meaning if it is separated from God’s love.
As Chaplains,
we have input into the beginnings of these conversations. The end points have
to grow out of these, they can’t be known at the start. With prayer and
thoughtful conversation we hope to help a Christian patient continue to turn to Christ at a difficult time,
moving towards a deeper maturity in Him. For others, hopefully the
conversations begin to reveal the nature of Christ, opening an otherwise closed
door, and help in turning to Him;
exchanging death for life - the beginning of a journey towards Him.
In the
Gospels we see turning points in the teaching of Jesus that are very specific
to persons or particular situations. Jesus appeals to those who are feeling
burdened to come to him for rest. In the beatitudes we see Christological
solutions supplied to different groups of people. The poor will receive the
Kingdom of God; the hungry will be satisfied; the weeping will laugh; the
mourning –comforted; the meek shall inherit; the merciful shall receive mercy; the
rejected will be received with joy. But conversely the self-secure and
self-satisfied will find themselves on the outside. In other passages sheep are
given a shepherd; fruit is maintained by the vine; trees have roots down into
living water; thirst is quenched; light overcomes darkness; the doubter
receives proof; there is peace in the midst of a storm; and sins are forgiven.
A chaplain’s
work is often with those who know they are sick
and need a doctor. As soul physicians
we help precipitate turning points, staying with a single idea and not leaping
ahead of the patient. We remain mindful
of not attempting to turn another but
rather allowing them to voluntarily turn.
We help or facilitate others to turn
rather than be turned by us. It is
our Heavenly Father who ultimately affects lasting turnings.
[1] Swift,
Christopher. Hospital chaplaincy in the twenty-first century: the crisis of
spiritual care on the NHS. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2009.
[2] Keller,
Timothy J. “Puritan Resources for Biblical Counseling.” Journal of Pastoral
Practice 9 (3) (January 1): 11-44, 1988.
[3]
Luther, Martin, Ernest Gordon Rupp, Desiderius Erasmus, and Philip S. Watson. Luther
and Erasmus: Free Will and Salvation. Westminster John Knox Press, 1969.
[4]
List drawn from various accounts of Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial
Development.
