Nataly Sorenson
Executive Director of the Gaston Christian Center, Dallas, Texas
I stumbled upon someone who has been nurturing my faith via Instagram. His name is J.S. Park. His post caught my attention and immediately I began to scroll through his feed reading about his experience as a hospital chaplain and father to a two-year-old daughter. Park shared stories about entering the room when patients were intubated, holding space for grieving families and the moments when he got it wrong. His stories resonated with me. I had recently resigned from being a hospital social worker in the intensive and neuro-intensive care units. At times, by patient or patient’s family request, I had conversations regarding faith, illness and grief. I realized not many people gave the patient or family the freedom to feel.
Reading Park’s posts felt like balm to my weary soul and reminded me of the precious work social workers, chaplains, pastors, ministers and everyday people can experience if we open ourselves to it. I think in Christian circles we often propagate the idea of false positivity. We fear the stillness; we do not want to feel the discomfort when someone shares their grief. We want to silence people’s fears, worries and pains, and we quickly brush them off with a quick blurt of “God is in control.” God says “do not worry.” “They are in a better place now.” “Look at the bright side.” And the list goes on and on.
Park shares about being present with people where they are. He says, “They say it’s not easy. But I don’t believe it’s always so hard. Sometimes it is harder not to. It can take seconds to be gracious. As simple as breathing. Or one look. It is hard to break systems. To heal DNA. To march against hostility. To create safe policy. And to protect those with stolen dignity. But it begins here, between you and me. Usually the best theology is you.”
J.S. Park has influenced my spiritual practice and theology in challenging me to be present. To live in the now—not where we romanticize the past, glamourize the future, or wish to be in the tomorrow. We become blind to the weeping mother, the angry brother and the sick child. In Scripture, we find Jesus seeing, looking and turning his gaze towards a person, a group, a crowd. We find Jesus having compassion. We find Jesus hearing and listening to those whom the rest of the group rebukes and tries to silence.
May we also live like Jesus—God with us—and be present. Present to see and hear those around us. May the divinity in us see the divinity in them.
“I see you. I hear you. I am with you. I am for you. I am here.”
J.S. Park is a Korean American, son of immigrants, hospital chaplain, and Christ-follower. He has a blog called “J.S. Park: Hospital Chaplain, Skeptical Christian—A blog for busted-up, beat-down people (like me). He is also the author of The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise. He is currently working on a second book on grief coming out in May 2024.