Since 2023, the chaplains of our community have been working in stabilization centers, military hospitals and clinics. These places are special because even though a soldier can be physically treated and rest, his mind and soul are still possessed by the horrors of war, guilt, often despair, depression and fear. No medicine can penetrate to the depths of human nature. But God can do it. The role of the chaplain becomes critical and often decisive in the fate of the wounded soldier, and it is through the presence of the chaplain that God confirms the incomprehensible value of the soldier as a person and reveals His plan of redemption and eternal life.
The peculiarity of this circumstance is that in clinical settings, the usual church practices do not always work. Often, no words are needed - only presence, authentic love, deep respect, compassion and endless prayer. And sometimes, you just need to give a soldier a cup of coffee, or a glass of water, or make a sandwich. It may not seem very “spiritual”. But the commandment of Jesus, where His own person is an example, sounds clear: “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink”...
The chaplain's presence in the hospital conveys to the soldiers a deep understanding of their personal value - and not only because they have chosen such a difficult path, but above all because each of them is incomprehensibly valuable in God's eyes. The chaplain, through his ministry, conveys a message from God to the soldier: “I have called you by your name... You are Mine.”
The book of the prophet Isaiah 43:1-4
