Saving The Chaplain

As a chaplain working in a health care system, you are told to expect it all. You try to prepare yourself to hear and see pretty much anything and to be able to try to find a calm presence from within that you can bring to a situation – be the voice of reason at times. So when you visit a patient and they want to know more about you and your faith you know things are going to be interesting. Whenever someone immediately starts deflecting things and making the visit about you, you know you're in trouble.

I worked in a hospital that is in the Bible belt and attracts folks who are steeped in conservative American based Christian traditions. It was not uncommon for me to meet folk, men almost always, who were missionaries. Most would be polite and figured if nothing else I could be the person to fluff the pillow or get some water. I figured that was as much ministry as was going to happen in those situations and I was cool with that. Then I meet "the one," he believed he was sent by God to save me from myself as I found out later. I worked the cardio floors so I got to see him before and after his open heart surgery and recovery process. Our first meeting was the normal "I'm one of the chaplains, I'm here if you want/need me and I also handle advance directives." I watched as this man's whole energy changed. He fluffed himself up as best he could and informed me that he was a missionary of a particular very conservative movement and that he wanted to pray for me. I was cool with him praying so I sat and listened. His prayer was all about me knowing the love of Jesus and for Jesus to come into me and show me the right way. Okay being that I have a love Christology I translated the prayer and had to move one.

I say him the next day in recovery and then, probably because of the drugs, I got the greet questions of faith. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? I'm rolling with this but then the kicker. Do you know that Jesus wants you to be a good woman? Do you know that what you're doing is wrong? That a man should be doing it? Needless to say the gut wanted to rip some tubes out of his body and see what happened but then the rational side came out. I learned many years ago that you are never going to "win" an argument with someone who believes that they are so "right" about their faith. My response was, "Mr. so and so, I understand that from your faith tradition and background that you may not want a woman chaplain and I'm fine with that. I'll be happy to have a male chaplain do any follow up visits with you. However, I know my relationship with God is secure and I firmly believe I am doing what God has told me to do by being here. I will respect your faith and leave now but I ask that you respect mine please. Blessings in your recovery." I heard later from the nurses that this missionary then spent quality time praying, loudly, for me since he could see me in the hallways.

It's interesting to be "saved" when you don't want it. Maybe I did need to be saved - but I doubt that it was being a chaplain in that moment. Maybe being "saved" means having someone to walk with on the journey of faith to help guide or offer alternatives verse this idea that it's all Jesus and 1 person's belief to know God. I hope and pray that if I ever come off like this man that someone smacks me upside the head.