During my time at the V.A. as a chaplain, I have found in many ways I am re-learning not only how to share my faith but also how to grow in it. As some of you know, proselytizing or "aggressive evangelism" is not allowed within my role as chaplain. In fact, in action it is called "religious harassment" and goes right up there with "sexual", "racial", and all other kinds of "harassment." Some might see this policy as an affront to the Evangelical Christian lifestyle which almost assumes most of its members are sharing their faith on a regular basis. Yet I have come to see it as a different kind of invitation. An invitation to live out that famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." It also invites me into what I think is a much more gracious style of evangelism. Rather than actively seeking to save the soul of every veteran under my care, I have chosen instead to meet them where they are and in that place, help them to connect with God as they understand Him. My work with the Chemically Dependent veterans has taught me that even in the life of a devout atheist, there is still an innate spirituality, an inner search for significance and purpose. I seek to help them find the tools for getting to know God on their own, rather than assuming my way of knowing Him is best.
I also find that I am relearning what exactly these tools are for their growth and my own. One of the really good books I've come across in my work with the Chemically Dependent veterans is Earnie Larson's Stage II Recovery: Life Beyond Addiction. In it, he describes how the habits we've been learning since childhood have shaped us into the people and predicaments we are and are in today. For the addict, it is a bit easier to see which of these habits are good and which are bad. For others of us, it is not always so clear. For both, Earnie writes, and I think I agree, that change is possible. It happens through picking out the things in our life with God and others that we desire to change and being daily intentional about doing so. It means learning what things / habits in our lives get us into bad moods and places and what habits / things we can learn to cultivate in our own lives to begin to grow in to a more healthy person, better able to relate to others and God.
So what are these habits? I think most everyone knows the bad ones: talking down to one's self, not expressing one's needs, not engaging daily in enriching relationships with God and each other, and so on. The positive ones are maybe not so easy to self-generate. Part of this, I think, is because the world around us so easily trains us in the wrong way. That's probably why Paul exhorted his fellow Christians to "not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) How do we do this? As I mentioned before, I'm still just beginning to explore this way of spiritual formation or seeking to cooperate with the ways God is already shaping me into the type of person He created me to be. I think part of it lies in learning how to see the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22) - as rhythms of life. There's probably also a lot of wisdom with those who practice Spiritual Disciplines, like those laid out in Richard Fostor's Celebration of Discipline: Prayer, Meditation, Fasting, Submission, Service and Worship. So, to sum up, I think Spiritual Formation happens by our becoming aware of the rhythms already present in our lives, both good and bad, and learning to lesson the harmful ones and increase the healthy ones. As always, I'm open to hearing any recommendations, suggestions, questions or any other thoughts you might have regarding these ponderings. Thanks! I do hope all of you are well. God bless!
In His Grip,
Michel Jon Willard
