Lessons in Courage

It has been too long since my last post. Ideas have been swirling but the discipline to sit down to write eluded me. But today, the 24th anniversary of 9/11 gave me the kick I needed. Hopefully it won’t take years for me to post again.

24 years ago two journeys with significant impact on my life began. Leaders from Christ Church (my home parish) were meeting with Southern Maine Health Care hospital administration about providing funding for a part time chaplain position for a couple of years with the hope that the hospital would eventually pick up the cost so the position could continue. We had heard so many stories of patient needs that could not be met by local parish clergy and decided to use part of a memorial gift to try to assist in meeting those needs.  

Peter and I also volunteered to be trained by the then Maine Med CPE Director as volunteer chaplains to try to augment the very part-time paid chaplain. Later in my seminary mentored practice requirement I did a unit with the chaplain as well. During that time I saw the demands on nursing staff and increasingly appreciated their dedication and compassion.

During that meeting at SMHC a support staff popped into the room informing us of the plane hitting the first Twin Tower. We were stunned and saddened but continued the conversation. But after the second tower was hit it was clear the nation was under attack and that we all had places we needed to be. On the drive back to the church the other attacks were announced and all planes were grounded. The sky became silent. 

I was working in Student Affairs at UNE at the time, and after a brief response planning meeting we fanned out across campus to assess and support students as the news spread. In the different residence halls the horrific images just kept accelerating. Many are seared in my head and tattooed on my heart, but the most profound image was of the firefighters, police, EMTs and paramedics running into danger as the rest of the city ran away from it. A courage most of us will never fully understand. 

As the day progressed we learned, not only of the unfathomable civilian lives lost,  but of the hundreds of first responders as well. Also volunteers who didn’t have to be there but felt compelled to be. And of course in subsequent years we’ve learned of the casualties which took time to manifest through lung and other diseases. 

We also learned of the overwhelming need and its impact on the hospital staff who, under impossible circumstances, juggled the reception and treatment of all injured/impacted by the attack. Like the first responders, everyone showed up, regardless of their scheduled shifts and worked tirelessly to bring as much care and comfort as possible under impossible conditions. Dedication at the highest levels.

One of my immediate responses, which I continue to this day, is to pause every time I witness an ambulance or fire truck on the way to a scene and offer a prayer for those needing assistance and for the responders. The other response was to serve as chaplain to York County EMA for over a decade. Coming from a family of first responders, it was a natural response to the events of the first 20 years of the 21^st century. 

And then came a global pandemic. Once again, the hospital nurses, doctors, support staff and chaplains put themselves and likely their families at risk daily while most of the rest of the world isolated. Although there was incredible support through the provision of personal protective gear, we were learning about this virus as it progressed, so there were no guarantees. And not only did they provide medical & spiritual care, they held the hands of the dying, facilitating electronic family connections when family presence wasn’t safe; and they showed up every day. As a member of the hospital’s Spiritual Care  Advisory Council I witnessed this bravery and dedication first hand. First responders also continued to respond to emergencies without hesitation – it is just what they do. Those images are also tattooed on my heart. 

I am deeply grateful to health care and first responder staff for these lessons in courage and compassion, as they daily demonstrate the best of humanity. 

Rev. Shirley Bowen

Biddeford, Maine – where the river meets the sea