This time of year always seems odd to me. The high life of Christmas and the New Year is over. The weather is cold, or windy or wet or all three and more! Days are still short and seem to pass rather sluggishly. What is there to do? Where are we to go? And even….what is the point?
This sort of atmosphere may well hover over any chaplaincy situation. And a chaplain may not have much to offer by way of making an obvious practical difference. But there is always one vital thing, and that is….to listen.
To listen, bringing space for words that might clear the air a bit.
To listen, bringing, counter intuitively, an accepting silence that can exhaust the ennui.
To listen, bringing affirmation of the speaker even if the words are wooden or sullen or hopeless.
To listen, not appraising, not thinking about a retort, not judging, but simply lending an ear that may enable a speaker to understand themselves better. Maybe even formulate a way ahead, but certainly to feel, at least, regarded and worthy of the time.
This is a gift every chaplain offers on every visit and may it be taken up often. Institutions and groups need to listen too, although it is often a harder discipline given the distance both literal and metaphorical between those who make up the institution. Again, chaplains may have a role here as they often can act as a “connector” between different groups or “levels” in a company or organisation. This is hardly a comfortable role even in a situation of mild conflict. Think “management” and “workers”! But it can play a vital role in bringing humanity into the structure of a workplace.
So, talk of chaplains, listening, and organisations leads me to say, CWC wants to listen too. If you’re a chaplain we request a couple of minutes of your time to respond to a short questionnaire. Sorry! We know those are often not popular, but please bear with us. We do want to know what resourcing you may need in chaplaincy. We do want to know whether you find CWC of use or not! So please click the link below and complete our short survey.
What we will find from this listening will shape the work of CWC into the future and determine its course, if there is to be one! Please do help us. The form is not long or complex. We do value what you will have to say, so, please, say it. Honestly… we are listening!
Paul Hills
Vice Chair, CWC
Listen
