Moral Injury and the Church: No One Stands Alone
America spent approximately twenty years in protracted war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Due to the inherent nature of insurgency, it was often difficult to determine between friend and foe, citizen and insurgent. Decisions had to be made on very little information, often by young men and women in the first few years of their initial military contract (i.e., 19-20 year old soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen.) Because of the nature of these wars—and all that war can often entail—many of these individuals have been coming home with invisible wounds. Some injuries are easy to see, but often the most debilitating are ones that are not visible to outside inspection. Instead, many of these individuals are dealing with moral and spiritual injuries.
At its core, moral injury is “the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress one’s own moral beliefs, values, or ethical codes of conduct.”1 These injuries lead to feelings of shame or guilt, and they often cause an individual to question themselves, their own understanding of the world, their faith, and the nature of right and wrong.
For many of us, that definition instantly makes us wary or confused. If an individual walks in and starts talking about “moral injury”… let’s be honest, most people wouldn’t know that term! Instead, they might talk about a struggle of faith, doubt, relationship challenges, trust issues, sleeplessness, guilt, shame, fear, etc. But if we hear that it stems from something like war or trauma or drugs, ministers like me might start reaching for a way to refer them to a mental health counselor. And for many, that is needed. (More on that in a moment.)
Recently, however, I was blessed to study with Dr. Harold Koenig, a noted researcher on mental health and religious belief from Duke University. Not long ago, Dr. Koenig presented on moral injury to a group of Navy chaplains, and he made a profound statement: “Moral injury is a new name that has been given to an age-old problem so that mental health providers can tackle the subject from a secular perspective. As chaplains, you are probably more familiar with its original name—sin.”2
As ministers, pastors, leaders, and “just” everyday Christians, who is more equipped to speak to people in the midst of sin than us? We all can quote the Scripture, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God… and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”3 We are people who believe that sin is real, and that forgiveness and healing are possible. As a result, who is better equipped to walk alongside those who are struggling than people who have dealt with their own forms of “moral injury”?
Too often our churches seem flawless to those looking in. Too often we come to worship with our “game faces” on: life might be a wreck, but no one can find out! So we’re “fine” and “blessed,” and our responses are “Isn’t God good?” I’ve had a number of people who come confessing struggles, sins, and doubts, and when I ask if anyone knows or is walking with them they reply, “Oh no! No one could ever know! What would they think of me?” We must DO better and BE better. Church should be the best and easiest place to say, “I’m not ok.”
As pastors, elders, leaders, ministers, volunteers, mentors—as Christians!—we need to come alongside those who are experiencing moral/spiritual injury. Although we might not have had the experiences that have led to their injury (we never served in battle, we’ve never been a first responder, we’ve never kept quiet when we weren’t certain of abuse, etc.), each of us can sympathize because we, too, have fallen short in some way. Each of us has transgressed our moral boundaries and has found hope, healing, forgiveness, and grace.
We need to practice the words of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” No one should ever have to stand alone in their suffering or their shame. Instead, we need to become a safe harbor for those who are floundering; this is our sacred calling.
As ministers, then, let’s not be so quick to only refer people to mental-health professionals. Yes, please send people to get counseling—I am a STRONG believer in therapy! But we also need to provide the spiritual counsel and guidance that so many are yearning for. We are equipped to handle these questions of sin, shame, and suffering. And if you do refer, don’t refer and forget. Ask instead, “How can I minister to you spiritually as you receive this counseling?” Maybe it is a time of prayer weekly, or a Bible study, or joining them for Celebrate Recovery or an Anonymous meeting, or weekly Scriptures, or notes of encouragement, or walking with their family through the crisis, etc. The options are only limited by our creativity.
As the old hymn says, “Hold my hand all the way, every hour, every day, from here to the great unknown. Take my hand, let me stand, where no one stands alone.” Let’s commit ourselves to being a church where no one stands alone.
1 https://moralinjuryproject.syr.edu/about-moral-injury/
2 A presentation given by Dr. Harold Koenig to Navy Chaplains at Camp Pendleton, CA, on June 28, 2022, for the annual Professional Development for Naval Chaplains seminar.
3 Romans 3:23-24
