The Birth of the Project

We were discussing the idea of this writing project when the phone rang. “Hey Chaplain, a close co-worker just died in front of all of us. Please come, we need you here.” Fifteen minutes later we stood together in front of a tight-knit team of 30. They were a family.

Only hours earlier they had watched one of their own die in front of their eyes. They had dialed 911. They had given him CPR. They had fallen on their knees crying out to God to help him. They had done everything they could. They had surrounded him as he transitioned from this life to the next. Now, they wept.

Now, we stood with 30 eyes on us, trembling at the gravity of the moment and the weighty task of bringing comfort to an impossible situation. At the same time, we were filled with a strange yet deep sense of purpose. This is our vocation. The cross on our uniform is our occupational badge. We are the men the military pays to weep. It was once again our great honor and sacred task to wade into the fray.

Later that day we picked up our writing discussion. We reflected on how the phone call highlighted the rhythm of our lives as chaplains. In a conversation about writing a book on “Hey Chaplain” moments we were interrupted by another one. We often live from one emergency phone call to the next. As we have talked about ministry in the fray and the many “Hey Chaplain” moments we have experienced, we realized that some of them would be life giving to a wider audience.

We are military chaplains. We work with heroes every day. These are true stories from the fray. It is our aim that you experience hope and encouragement as you read them. As those who encountered them first hand, we have been changed as a result.

Before we press ahead with these stories it is important to pause and articulate our approach to caring for people. We believe that ministry in the fray demands spiritual care marked by rugged honesty, fierce compassion and robust biblical truth.

We call this approach to ministry “battle worn soul care.” This brand of gritty spiritual care is built upon three key convictions: life is messy, theology must bleed and the tomb is empty.

Life is messy

Pain, suffering, sorrow and heartache are the norm, not the exception in this life. We are all experts at covering up this fact. In reality, we are all well acquainted with the mess within and the mess without. Life is messy. Life is hard. Battle worn soul care looks this reality in the face. It lives where the mess intersects with soul mending truth.

Theology must bleed

The messiness of life must ground any discussion of God and faith in reality. Theology is another term for this discussion that seeks to understand God and explore the intersection of faith with real life. The best theology is anything but clean. Battle worn soul care understands this and practices theology in the fray, theology that intersects with the mess, theology that bleeds.

The Tomb is empty

In the mess of life, we all need theology that bleeds. We need the truth of a crucified God. In the darkness, we need resurrection light. We need hope. The empty tomb changes everything. Battle worn soul care acknowledges pain, bleeds with the hurting and wages war on hopelessness as it pushes image-bearers to God’s conquest over death in the resurrection of Jesus.

These key convictions inform our every engagement as soul care-givers. They are the undercurrent of our posture in these stories. And they are the truths that the individuals in these stories (all names changed or left out for the purpose of confidentiality) have helped to solidify in us.

No one ever says, “Hey Kory” or “Hey Bill.” They say, “Hey Chaplain.” Most won’t ever remember our names. Many never knew them. All they knew is that we were their Chaplains. The words that come out of their mouths next are often unforgettable and always deeply moving. This book is a record of those words.