Chaplaincy: Being God's Presence in Closed Communities

Chaplain Jon Wright, San Francisco VA Medical Center

 Some VA chaplains have never served in the military. Some have served and gone on to become VA chaplains.  But only a few have served as VA and military chaplains at the same time.  Jon Wright is one of the few. While serving as chaplain in the San Francisco VA Medical Center, Wright also served as chaplain in the Army Reserves, rising to the rank of Colonel before recently retiring. At this writing, Chaplain Wright continues to serve the VA in the San Francisco area.

 One of Wright's duties is to visit veterans at the downtown VA outpatient clinic. Many of these veterans are homeless, suffer from substance abuse, and struggle with mental illness. He confesses that when he first visited the clinic, which was located in the rough part of the city, he felt a sense of fear. The fear was soon dissipated when the veterans and staff welcomed him with open arms. The chaplain writes of his experience:

 One of the veterans said he would watch out for me, and each day when I would  go to catch the bus back to the hospital, he would accompany me to the bus stop  and stay with me until I was safely on the bus. One time a homeless veteran took  me to his shack nearby, which was under a large freeway complex, and invited me  into his abode, constructed mainly out of tarps, cardboard, and wooden planks.   As I came to know these veterans and visited with them and prayed for them, and  became more familiar with their illnesses and personalities, my fears melted  away.  One veteran who has  schizophrenia, has a deep and profound belief in  and love for Jesus and he is an avid student of the Bible and fervent in prayer.   When off the proper medications, he can become very paranoid and angry.   However, he never loses his humility before God, his desire to confess and repent,  and his recognition of his need of the Holy Spirit constantly in his mind and heart.   He doesn't have much in a material nature in his life, but he has a very grateful  attitude for God's daily presence, protection, and power.  Many of these veterans  say that the weekly visit with the chaplain and participation in the spirituality  group, and receiving the sacraments of communion, is one of the most important  ingredients in their lives, as they live and cope with illness, addictions, poverty,  and spiritual attacks.

 In addition to his ministry to the outpatient clinic, Chaplain Wright also ministers at the VA hospital. The following is an account of one of his ministry opportunities:

 At the VA hospital, I was visiting a veteran in the intensive-care psychiatric ward.  He had very bizarre behavior and was a handful for the staff - often they had to  put him in the isolation room and at times…restrain him...on a mattress. He had  been open at times to visiting with me and never threatened me. One time he let  me know that he was so afraid of evil and the devil that he needed all the spiritual  power from all the religions of the world.  One time when I visited him…he was  lying on his bed but he recognized me and invited me in. “Chaplain, pray and  anoint me,” he said. I anointed him with oil and prayed for him in Jesus'  name.  He  didn't say anything else but was very still and quiet. Next week when I came to  the unit, the staff commented how totally different he was in his mood and  behavior, now being very calm