First of all, I’d like to hear from our veterans about how they think faith communities should respond.
I’m not a veteran and I find it extremely difficult to impose what I think they need, so part of my work is to partner with veteran ministries or veterans themselves that recognize the reality of moral injury and are effectively serving veterans in love and truth.
On my end, I try to help cultivate a safe, healing and hospitable community that will be a healthy place for veterans to honestly work their path towards processing and recover from their service, in a supportive, non-judgmental or overly-suffocating community.
I think balancing the role of pastor and prophet is difficult when dealing with war and wounds. One must delicately walk a fine line that addresses the roots and fruits of war, violence, anger, injustice, death and the policies that perpetuate these realities, while at the same time helping individuals become who God desires them to be through all their experiences.
