The words 'Chaplain' and 'Church' couldn't be further apart. Yet, they somehow resemble the same thing - spiritual care. The methods and mentality cause the divergence.
To be Chaplain - there is a humbling, and essence of humility that permeates the nature of a good chaplain. Rife with 'I don't know' and 'you're right, it isn't fair', a Chaplain learns to listen. And listen. They sit, not presuming to preach, teach, fix, or problem solve, but listen, and be. Every day the prayer becomes 'give us ears to hear' because there are untouched depths behind tears, voiced fears, angry words, the pacing of anxious feet, and eyes which haven't been dry for days.
And so, patients talk. But we aren't there to hear them talk, we wait until they share. The heart is vulnerable, and becomes honest with trust. We pose no threat, so when that is recognized, truth emerges. Past pain or regret, anger or confusion at times. We are all looking for answers, so what happens when we find out there are no easy answers? Some presume to attempt a solution anyway. I've learned to sit with the questions. Sometimes when we ask, we come to understand the reason for the question a little better. Curiosity met with curiosity allows human to see human. And to be a Chaplain, is hopefully to say 'nice to finally meet you'. It seems that to wear the other face of Church, we sometimes instead say, 'have you met me yet?'
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