Rev. SeungJin Kim Yun on why healing moments sometime happen

Cultural Hospitality in a Foreign Land

Last November, my clinical site mentor at North Shore University Hospital, the Rev. Jon Overvold, referred Mr. A, a Korean patient, to me. Mr. A was being treated by the palliative care team under the supervision of Dr. Fred Smith. Mr. A was not open with the medical staff, and he refused to be visited by either a social worker or a chaplain. Nevertheless, Dr. Smith and Rev. Overvold thought that he might have a cultural issue that I could help with.

Mr. A was fifty years old and he came to the U.S. when he was in his twenties. He had suffered from cancer since March, 2005, and the disease had spread throughout his body, including his bones. His siblings and two children lived in California. Only his fiancée stayed at his bedside; she was always there whenever I visited.

Mr. A did not want to see a chaplain at first, but he welcomed me when he saw that I could dialogue with him in Korean. I visited him many times, and each time I prayed with Mr. A and his fiancée. It was an important part of the healing process for them to connect spiritually to God and to each other. On my third visit, we experienced a sacred moment while I was praying for him. After finishing, he told me that he felt like he was in heaven, and he believed that I was an angel who had been sent to him by God. Later, he told me that he had never felt God’s presence before although he used to go to church, but now he really believed in God and His love. After that, he looked like he was comfortable physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Shortly after this encounter, Mr. A’s interactions with the palliative care team members became more effective and easier. He remained much calmer until the next month when he passed away. Dr. Smith told me that after my visits, Mr. A’s attitude totally changed; the difference was night and day. He asked me what had happened between the patient and me.

Why did the healing moment happen between the patient and me?

First, I believe that God was with us when I visited him. Second, since I have come to the United States, I have realized that, though a chaplain and a patient may have different religions, races and cultures, pastoral care still occurs effectively between them. Nevertheless, in Mr. A’s case, he seemed to be more comfortable and was willing to share his feelings with a chaplain from his first culture. Finally, because of the pastoral skills I learned, I was able to walk with him in his suffering, help him to express his own stories and true feelings, and offer him spontaneous prayer, custom made for him each time I visited. Many clergy, though highly educated, are not trained to be with patients in this way.

Of course, it was God who healed the patient’s spirit, not me. I feel humble and thank God for using me as a tool of His work.

 

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