A Chaplain’s Tale
Life as a Hospice Chaplain
When I was younger, I was given a Bible. It had my name in it and the day it was given to me. It was leather-bound and made many trips to camp and church and occasionally rested beneath a lamp beside my bed.
One thing I remember about this Bible were several pages of maps at the end of it depicting the travels of a pastor named Paul who sailed around the Mediterranean Sea.
There, he made countless stops on islands, inlets and shores; breaking bread with people, praying with them, and providing counsel and comfort where possible.
Going Where the Needs Are
The silent arrows outlining Paul’s journeys could hardly do justice to describe the sound of wind and wave, storm and sunrise, gull and utterances of people in need, yet they give us some insight into the breadth of Paul’s ministry.
If the Christian story was a song, Paul took it to the ends of the earth.
Parallels from Ancient Wisdom
I have thought of those maps over the years and the lengths Paul and his companions must have gone to in easing the burdens of others in the little nooks and crannies of our world. Even now, serving as a Chaplain for New Century Hospice, I have found some playful similarities between Paul’s journeys and my own.
The Mediterranean Sea and the Texas Hill Country
Just as he sailed to Philippi, Corinth, Athens, and Crete, so I make my way to places like Junction, Fredericksburg, Boerne and Kerrville. Just as he encountered people from all walks of life, so hospice work has taken me beyond the local parish and into the highways and byways of human existence. The lines marking my daily journey are not much different than the lines on the map above. Just substitute the Texas Hill Country for the Mediterranean Sea.
Additionally, the people I meet, the stories they tell and the faith they embody are a blessing. I have learned much on this journey. I have also had the opportuntity to work with some amazing colleagues who are nurses, social workers, administrators and doctors. We each work together to attend to the the needs of the whole person — (mind, body and spirit) and it shows in the faces of the people we meet.
A Chaplain’s Tale
I am grateful for Paul and his companions. They have helped me to see that you do not have to be perfect to be faithful. They spoke of divine things as if they were real and lived their lives in such a way that they became real among the people they served— love, forgiveness, joy and healing. For care givers and receivers alike, it may be hard sometimes to remember what that feels like until you find it and when you do, it is a tale to be told time and time again. Presence is powerful.
