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Lauren W. Reliford In January 2020, COVID-19 was first detected in the United States. In the two years since, we’ve experienced death and mourning on a massive scale, lost relationships over politically driven misinformation about the deadly virus, and felt constant fear and anxiety as we try to protect ourselves and our loved ones. This trauma has shaken many to their spiritual core in ways that will leave lasting effects. As the omicron variant rips through communities, I’ve heard many people express feelings of resignation. Helplessness. Hopelessness. And given how trauma works, we shouldn't be surprised when we notice ourselves experiencing these feelings, even in our churches. The first step in moving through trauma is recognizing it. There is currently no national or global standard definition of trauma, though there have been efforts to create a shared understanding. In 2014, the United States’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published a landmark report titled “SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach.” This guidance integrated three areas of trauma work: research, current practice, and the lived experience and first-person narratives of trauma survivors. The goal was to create a shared definition that would help coordinate trauma research, practice, policy, and education to aid people navigating trauma — or at the risk of experiencing it. […] This pandemic has made the past two years of life and living feel heavy. This is not to say that life was anything close to easy before COVID-19 and all of its mutated minions entered the picture. Prior to 2020, there were millions of families, children, and communities struggling with the stress and burden of poverty exacerbated by decades of underinvestment in rural, urban, and suburban America. More than 1 in 4 households experienced a major hardship such as an inability to afford adequate food, housing, or utilities over a three-year period prior to the pandemic. A third of those households had children; Black and Latino households with children were twice as likely to experience these hardships as white households with children.
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Our Latest Scholars say the court’s 6-3 conservative majority has shown an eagerness to impact abortion, affirmative action, LGBTQ rights, and more. Pope Tells Parents To Support Their LGBTQ Children (by Phillip Pullella, Reuters) At his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis said that parents of LGBTQ children should not condemn them but offer them support. Marginalized People Need More Than a Seat at the Table (by Amar D. Peterman) Society is placing a bigger emphasis on representation. But where does structural change fit in? Priests We Arrest, Priests We Don't (by Jenna Barnett) What the life of Daniel Berrigan and the documentary Procession reveal about violence, religion, and justice. |
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From the Magazine Survivors of Catholic Clergy Abuse Turn to Acting to Process Trauma (by Abby Olcese) Robert Greene's Procession |
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Triune Mercy Center, a nondenominational church in Greenville S.C., seeks a full-time associate pastor. We share Christ’s love by serving the disadvantaged, including those experiencing homelessness and living in poverty. The position requires an M.Div. from an accredited seminary. Visit triunemercy.org for more. Email cover letter and resume to elaine.nocks@furman.edu. Upcoming webinar: seeking justice for our immigrant community Join SojoAction on Monday, January 31 at 7 p.m. EST for conversation, prayer, and action in support of our immigrant community. You’ll learn ways to support immigrants and connect with like-minded people of faith. |
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