IN OUR OWN WORDS: Vets And Civilians Find Healing.

It started out as a simple exercise.  The chaplain co-presenter at our workshop on Faith Connections with Veterans was demonstrating how a conversation with an actual veteran might unfold. As a group of civilians, we were all feeling a little inadequate and nervous about engaging a veteran in dialogue. Would we say the wrong thing?  Put our foot in our mouth?  Would we be able to handle what they had to say? 

The chaplain took a seat at the front of the room and was asked a simple question by the workshop facilitator. “Is there anything you would like to share with me about your military experience?” 

The chaplain sat thoughtfully for a moment and then shared an incident that took place in Iraq in 2003. He began as you might expect a workshop demonstration to begin. Skimming along the surface of a story worn smooth by many tellings.  But, a few minutes into the story, a transformation took place.  The things he was sharing took on immediacy and a sense of urgency.  This wasn’t workshop boilerplate anymore. This was real. The events he shared with us still held a tremendous amount of power for him, and there was almost a sense of sacredness that fell over the room as he spoke.  

He told us of standing over the charred body of a young soldier, brought in with dozens of other wounded soldiers, and a young nurse working among the litters.  She recognized him as a chaplain and asked, “Where is God?” 

He said that time slowed.  Seconds seemed like an eternity.  A rocket exploded in the night and the light from the explosion illumined the nurse’s face, imploring him for an answer that he as the chaplain, should be able to provide.  But, he didn’t have one.  All he had was his own fear.  All he had was the urge to run.  And he had no idea how long it was before he gave an answer that surprised even him.  “God is here,” he said, “in your hands that want to heal and make whole and in your heart filled with pity and love.” 

He said the nurse suddenly looked at him gratefully and continued tending to the wounded. His answer had provided her (and him) the strength to go on, at least for that night. 

Hearing that story told was a remarkable experience. It drove home the healing power of sharing our stories. It was plain to everyone that this courageous chaplain, in sharing his story with such honesty, took another step toward his own healing and that we, in hearing his story, were privileged to take that step with him.  But, that was only part of the story. The other part of the story is that we each took a step toward our own healing as well.  A journey we weren’t completely aware we even needed to make. 

This experience is one of the reasons we are starting a new program called IN OUR OWN WORDS: making meaning of our lives. IN OUR OWN WORDS is a series of writing workshops designed for veterans, military families, and civilians whose lives have been impacted by war.  Through active reflection, feedback and support, participants craft their story that they may choose to share at a public reading before family and friends and the community. To learn more about this program, and to register for a workshop, visit www.in-our-own-words.com.  Workshops are currently forming for mid April.   

The journey toward healing may take us by surprise, but one thing is sure.  It’s a journey we never make alone.