Tuesday; March 12

I was in a discussion the other day where we were discussing a very emotional issue that had some serious consequences. As we discussed the impact this event would have, someone brought up the possibility of “moral injury”. I had heard the phrase, but I hadn’t given it much thought. When I did my homework, I realized just how life-changing this can be.

Moral injury can come about when someone who is impacted by a traumatic event feels a negative emotional reaction because the event violated a deeply held moral belief or value. They may have participated in the event; they may have failed to act to prevent the critical incident or they may have merely witnessed the event; but something about what happened violated their conscience. When I was looking at the concept, the first word that came to my mind was guilt. People who deal with this may be plagued with the thought, “I should have …”. They may walk away from the incident without any physical scars, but emotionally and spiritually they may struggle.

The reason I bring this up is two-fold. First, if you are struggling with this type of emotion, the good news is that there is a phrase for it and that makes it much more definable and treatable. The second is that when this happens, there is hope. There are a variety of psychological options, but there is one important spiritual one – forgiveness. As I thought about this process, I remembered the Apostle Paul. As he was describing his life to his friend, Timothy, he recalled how he had participated in religiously-induced evil, he felt hope, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (I Timothy 1:15-16).

Are you struggling with your past? If so, find the help you need; but don’t overlook the greatest source of healing of all time – forgiveness found in Christ Jesus.

Think About It!

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