Chaplains bear witness
Five chaplains who served first responders, loved ones and the community in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks tell their stories to the Huffington Post.
The Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs, BCC wrote:
At the Chambers Street Station I would get off the train and make my way to the gate where I could gain admittance to what felt like a war zone. The streets were covered in dirt and the guards had guns and seemed to be dressed for war. My ID was looked at and I smiled at the guys, trying to make that human connection with them. Some smiled back; others simply nodded and let me in. I would make my way to the respite center and spend the day with police, fire and recovery/construction workers, helping them to be able to continue to do their work, listening to their stories of pain and anger, confusion and grief. It was a time of deep listening because I could not take away their pain or their anger or their grief. I could not make them "feel better" -- but I could acknowledge their feelings and let them know that what they were feeling was "normal." One night I played poker with a group of police officers. We joked and I listened to their stories as they played cards -- doing something "normal" that was not in a "normal" place. When we finished playing, they all said that they felt better and thanked me for playing with them. I wonder if they remember that game and how we created a new "normal" around that table.I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve those who were there to protect us and recover the remains of those who died. It was not something I ever envisioned when I answered a call to serve God. And yet, it was the right thing to do. And it changed my practice as a chaplain and as a human being. And it established for me a new "normal" in my life and in my work.
Fr. James Martin, SJ makes a video pilgrimage to Ground Zero ten years later:
Find the other stories here.
