Hope and Approach by Chaplains 

Hope literally means:

a.     The source of success.

b.     Confidence desired.

c.      An anticipation.

Apart from these definitions of hope given above and others I have not being mentioned; there is another side to hope in chaplaincy practice, chaplaincy care and service delivery.

“Can hope be given to another person who probably has lost hope, because of long time or terminal illness?”

In chaplaincy perspectives, hope is not an article, a commodity or a product that can be given to another. Professional chaplaincy practitioners especially those that offer palliative care services to terminally ill patients or care recipients have come to a discovery that hope cannot be given or transferred to another person. Why?

1.     Chaplains may hope together with care recipients or patients for better situation or tomorrow.

2.     Chaplains, especially palliative care chaplains can identify with their patients/care recipients to rekindle hopes in them for betterment, healing and recovery.

3.     Chaplains can pray and hope together with their care recipients for miracles and hope for such; as it is only God that has the power to make miracle things happen and healing is achieved.

4.     Patients or care recipients may sometimes say to chaplains, that they have a higher hope for healing and wellness than medical science and medication, in such situation, chaplains should encourage them to religiously follow their medical advice and take their medications as they patiently wait for higher hope for the healing and recovery.

While physicians may be angry to hear patients say that they have a higher hope than medical science; a bi-vocational chaplain who is a palliative care physician as well as palliative care chaplain will automatically lend support to such patients to achieve the desired goal.

Caution: As professional chaplaincy practitioners, we must learn not to reduce everything to prayers:

a.  There is a sure place for prayers for miracles.

b.  There is a place for medications.

c.   There must be a place for various therapies.

d.  There is a place for surgery.

e.  There is a place for palliative care services.

f.    There must be a place for chaplaincy care services.

g.  There must be a place for follow ups by chaplains.

Are you interested in online professional chaplaincy training to enable you offer beneficial chaplaincy care and services, get registered at the prestigious chaplaincy institute – Prodam-J Chaplaincy Institute for adequate and proper professional chaplaincy education and training to make you outstanding among your equals? Call 08033072375; 07055287861; 08035092416 or WhatsApp – 09091981944

Chap. David Mike-Jacobs CPC, CPST, BCC.

Professor of Anthropology, Certified Chaplaincy Educator & Trainer.

Blog: thechaplain1.blogspot.com

17^th Oct, AD2022