A Chaplain in south-east London

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Written November 2023

She'd heard I was joining the staff of the hospice. A mutual friend had told her and he had warned me that she would be looking for support. She was. Within days and more than once she shared with me that she and all in the chaplaincy department were under threat. She herself was ordained; she was married to an Anglican vicar, but she had chosen to be a chaplain.
'Please do what you can to help us save the status of the department,' she pleaded as she described the roles that ranged from simple bedside listening to administration of the sacrament of 'last rites' when the end seemed imminent.
 
And she was not the only one. Also not long after my arrival the founder of the hospice and indeed of the modern palliative care movement invited me to share lunch with her. The medical director joined us. Conversation was cordial but it was obvious she wanted to be sure of one thing.
'You've not come here to try and get people converted before they die, have you?' she asked.
I assured her that was not my purpose, and was not my intention. I was here because I was a Christian, not to make others Christian. 'But if it comes up as a natural part of conversation I'm willing to share my faith,' I told her. She seemed satisfied. But then she continued:
'We need people like you here.'
I was surprised and somewhat taken aback as she expressed her concerns. Christian principles had undergirded her efforts in founding the hospice. Now she saw those being eroded as secular forces were gaining the upper hand in decisions. I assured her I would do what I could. 
 
But the battle, if that's what it was, was lost with closure of the chapel and with incorporation of the chaplaincy department into Psycho-social Services.  
 
Disregard, side-lining, contempt, opposition and even hostility to Christian faith are common in Britain today. But that does not mean it has lost out. The church's mission is often more effective in a situation of opposition. It thrives on powerlessness. 
 
Please Lord, give us a clear vision of your purposes for us even when facing opposition. 
 
October 2023