122: Mark Christy
Hospital Chaplain, Tower Health
Mark Christy has been a chaplain 17 years and his pastoral care in the hospital during the pandemic changed significantly. The Intensive Care Unit was changed to a covid unit and for safety reasons he was not allowed to go in to see patients. He was allowed to be in the Emergency room. Using PPE was helpful but was it was still stressful to be there.
As a chaplain, the responsibilities of Pastor Christy’s job include offering visitation and comfort and support to patients and their families. He seeks to help patients connect with their spirituality and access it in a time often filled with fear and anxiety. In the ER he acts often as a host and guides patients and families helping them become oriented to the space. It can be overwhelming and he does a lot of reassures and supports others during a stressful time.
When he wasn’t allowed to visit face to face, he would access patients via phone calls. He often counsels people who are very ill and facing death. Mark sees himself primarily as a listener who may not be able to provide answers but can provide a sacred space for patients to process what they are thinking and feeling. He believes that when a patient can articulate what is causing the fear and anxiety, it often is very helpful and the fear is reduced. Pastor Christy sees people from all different faith backgrounds and is willing to be there for anyone in even the simplest capacities. He is a man whose calm presence and deep faith comforts others in the most difficult times.
During the throes of the pandemic, the lack of national government response to the pandemic was upsetting and frustrating. When asked how the pandemic has changed him, Mark described reflecting on a meditation about fleeing a deadly plague written by Martin Luther in 1529. In the essay. Martin Luther says we are called to be of service to our neighbors and challenges us to discern what is the best way we can be of service to others. He reminds us to care for ourselves and our family and to be of service to our neighbors. Mark found this mediation to be very inspirational and appropriate for these times.
His wish for the future is that if a situation like this arises again, we are quicker to have a coordinated and unified response and we focus on what is our first duty to our neighbor.
