I have been a Chaplain in a variety of
settings for 30 years.
In this time I have learnt to express ministry in an
authentically compassionate way that thinks, pioneers, develops and responds
with innovative, proactive empowerment and solutions.
Story telling has
influenced my chaplaincy practice. My chaplaincy practice has influenced my
writing. It is interesting how many parallels I have discovered in each. Both
Chaplaincy and writing are grounded in presence, empathy, relationship
building, narrative theory and story-holding.
In Chaplaincy I have the
privilege of sacred encounters with people every day.
In writing I get to
nurture sacred encounters with readers too.
Let us consider some essential tenets of
Chaplaincy delivery and how it may inform our writing.
AUTHENTIC PERSON-CENTRED ENGAGEMENT AND EMPATHY
Essentially, I carry a heart of authentic
engagement with people from my philosophy and praxis of Chaplaincy into my
writing. The alternative pastoral care that chaplaincy offers focuses on
creating safe spaces through holistic care methods like narrative, metaphor, art,
community development to help individuals navigate life’s challenges and faith transitions
(Layson et al 2023).
As a Chaplain and writer,
I aim to express compassionate presence, actively listening to the human
experience, and helping individuals or readers process deep emotions,
suffering, and meaning. We write for people. People who have souls who require
authentic person-centred engagement. As we write we need to ensure we are not
caught in a pattern of mechanical content development but have a genuine,
empathetic perspective. This requires vulnerability, active listening, and a
deep understanding of the audience's needs. The heart of this is to be about redeeming
our texts from the potential traps of shallow monologues, thin characters,
unrelatable scenarios and weak prose into shared human experiences.
Chaplains exercise deep empathy,
utilizing "perspectival knowing" to understand the world as their wards
experience it. To write a compelling character, an author must step inside that
person's psychological framework. To ensure that a character is relatable this
means that an author needs to be able to do the same with their audience
THE EMPOWERMENT JOURNEY. HOLDING SPACE TOGETHER
Chaplaincy expresses a journey metaphor. It means
walking alongside care-seekers supporting them as non-anxious companions in
unfamiliar or painful territory. Spiritual exploration is viewed as an ongoing
process of discovering purpose, meaning, and resilience, rather than a final
fixed destination. The journey metaphor honours the unpredictability of human
experience, giving people room to process at their own pace.
The "empowerment journey" refers to
a shift from rescuing or dictating solutions to instead walking alongside
individuals, honouring their agency, and facilitating their own spiritual or
emotional growth. Chaplaincy treats the care seeker as ‘the expert’ of their
own life and meaning-making process. It is a holistic, participatory process aiming
for empowerment, and sustainable change. For me, writing is too.
Chaplaincy creates a judgment-free zone where
the individual (or community) can process grief, uncertainty, and emotional or
moral conflict. It means simply being with someone in their time of trouble. It
is the sacred practice of ‘holding space’ or ‘with-ing’: being fully present
with the people right in front of us that we are caring for (McBride 2025) and -for me- who I am writing for.
Chaplains act as "story-holders" (Blanco
2024). They create a safe and nurtured space to allow people wrestling with
challenges to untangle their own experiences, helping them find continuity and
purpose during emergencies, crisis, grief, and trials. Kerry Egan (former
hospice Chaplain and author) writes that chaplaincy is less about storytelling
and more about “story-holding”.
“We listen to the stories that people believe
have shaped their lives. We listen to the stories people choose to tell, and the
meaning they make of those stories.”(Egan 2017).
As writers we craft narrative
arcs that give events meaning and help characters discover meaning and life
solutions. As writers we create and hold space with our readers as they engage
with a well-told story, characters that they empathise with and story arcs that
resonate with their own life journey.
Presence is the connective tissue serving as
one of the most powerful forms of care we give as Chaplains (Blanco 2024).
Simply being present. As I have grown in my role as chaplain, I have been
grateful for the opportunity to deepen practices of active listening, bearing
witness, staying grounded in the here and now, and ‘holding’ others with
respect and compassion. Simply bearing witness to someone’s pain and letting
them know they are not alone. In our creativity and storying development we
have the privilege of holding countless sacred stories of love and loss and of
suffering and resilience, bravery, inspiration and life change crafted with our
characters and creating ‘presence’ with and for our readers.
Chaplaincy is empowering, not overpowering. Care is
highly person-centred and often shows
radical respect. Chaplains avoid imposing their own dogmas or beliefs and foster self-determination. Chaplains ask open-ended questions that empower
the care seeker to identify their own core values, strengths, and personal
strategies for coping. While chaplains rely heavily on the unspoken elements
of communication—tears, silence, and presence—to build a safe space for healing.
Writers avoid heavy-handed exposition by using metaphor and scene. This is the
necessary art of "showing, not telling": In both fields, truth is
often found in the subtext.
Similar to the chaplain, an author of fiction
is not trying to overtly persuade, but is effective in inviting readers towards
perceptions of some aspect of the world, perhaps from the points of view of
more than one character, and prompts the reader to consider: "How do you
feel about this?"…"What do you think?" ... "What would you
do?"
MEANING AND COPING FACILITATION
At the care seeker's invitation, chaplains
aid in the exploration of spiritual, existential, or religious concerns to help
them find meaning within their crisis.
Chaplains guide individuals through a process
of spiritual discernment, stripping away distractions to help them focus on
what they value most. Writers know that editing is where the true story emerges.
Effective writing requires cutting away the noise to find the core message.
A chaplain helps individuals access inner
reserves and external resources . Spirituality
and faith are often used as tools that empower people to cope with adversity.
It is interesting to consider the question :
What internal
or external resources have I been able to help my readers to discover?
CATALYSTS OF CHANGE
“Change spawns stories and stories can trigger
change”(Brown et al 2009).
Chaplains act as agents of change by introducing
new ideas, mobilizing support, empowering local people to take ownership of
their own solutions, and facilitating collective action to solve problems.
In Chaplaincy we respond with a spirit that is
empowering, grounded, and caring. I think the world needs more
of that right now and perhaps can experience it through us as writers and our writing.
God’s desire for us is holistic flourishing, and I
have come to realise that through my writing- as similarly to my Chaplaincy - I
get to participate in the redemptive work of healing, growth, recreation, love
and living.
In both chaplaincy and writing,
transformation in others is a sacred privilege. We accompany people as they
confront sometimes painful truths, wrestle with questions of identity and
meaning, and begin to reframe their own stories.
It’s powerful to be able to be a part of
someone’s journey and to help inspire hope when the ground is shifting under
their feet through seasons of change, desperation, suffering, awakening,
flourishing and celebration.
Shane Brigg and friend holding space together Central Australia
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blanco, J. Editor (2024) Issue #28 “ Chaplaincy” . Fuller
Magazine. Fall 2024
Brown, A.D, Gabriel, Y., Gherardi, S. (2009) Storytelling and Change: An Unfolding Story
Brown, A.D. and Humphreys, M. (2003) `Epic
and Tragic Tales: Making Sense of Change', Journal of Applied Behavioral
Science 39(2): 121-44.
Egan,K. (2017) On Living .Thorndike Press.
Layson, M. D., Carey, L. B.,
& Best, M. C. (2023). “The impact of faith-based pastoral care in
decreasingly religious contexts: The Australian chaplaincy advantage in
critical environments”. Journal
of Religion and Health, 62 (3), 1491-1512.
McBride, G. (2025) ”The Weight-ing Game. Friends. Is There a Right Way to Hold Space for
Someone in Crisis? Providing support for someone in tough times is simpler than
you might think”. Psychology Today. Posted March 1, 2025
Photos various chaplaincy and missions contexts I have been involved in.
Shane Brigg In PNG 'Journeying' and hearing and telling stories
Jo Wanmer is a story teller, that has learnt how to turn those stories into acceptable prose. She writes with the help of the Holy Spirit. Without His inspiration, there would be no books. Though the Bud be Bruised was published thirteen years ago. Late in 2024 El Shaddai was released and its prequel, El Roi, was released late last year. She lives, with her husband of fifty-five years, just north of Brisbane. Family, God and writing are her three passions. Eleven great-grandchildren now fill their home with love and chaos.
