Building Bridges
Chaplain Sylvana Krogsrud
The most important thing for me in providing spiritual care
is to draw my strength from God who gave me the gifts and graces I bring into
this ministry. (I also thank my parents for their gift of compassion shown
to many strangers as I was growing up.)
With these gifts from God and my
parents, I listen to individuals with a compassionate heart and without
judgment. This allows me to build a bridge that crosses over to the other
person and at the same time allows God or the Divine to join us on our
bridge. This becomes sacred space where, with the help of the Divine and the
Holy Spirit, I try to connect with the other individual. Within this sacred
space, I try to understand the other person’s experience and offer to help
explore and reconnect with his or her source of strength, hope, faith and
meaning. When I am able to connect with another person in this fashion, we
both have the opportunity to discover God in our midst. Such encounters are
energizing and renewing for me.
