Devotional 3-6-10

Soul Injury
I Corinthians 10: 1 – 13
This past Friday I attended a seminar that focused on the Chaplains work with returning veterans through the VA. Many of these veterans suffer from Post Trauma Stress Disorder. The chaplains who were leading the seminar had coined the phrase “Moral Injury” to describe theologically what was happening to these returning veterans. Their theory basically states that these individual had broken a moral code and were suffering because of it. Much of their work was based on Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning that is based on Frankl’s experience of surviving the German concentration camps during WWII.

I returned home from the seminar where my wife asked me if I had seen or heard Tiger Woods’ apology. She had saved it on my DVR and I was able to view his apology. I was struck at the tenor, tone, and theology of his apology. Much has been made about his religious history and upbringing. In his apology he admitted he had strayed from his Buddhist roots and that he had followed his “cravings”. As I listened to him I reflected that he was suffering from a “Soul Injury”. I was saddened by his apology and hope that his soul could recover as well as the relationships with his marriage and family life.

In verse 13 of today’s scripture we are told by Paul that, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to humanity. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” This says to me that: The devil did not make us do it. Our human cravings did. Lent is our way out.

Many of us have “Soul Injury”. We have done those things that we ought not to have done and not done those things we ought to have done. God understands that process. God understands our human nature and realizes that we will be tempted on a daily basis. It may be a gross temptation such as Bernie Madoff or Tiger Woods participated in over a period of time. It maybe societal temptation such as racism, sexism, classism, etc that stains us within. It may be that we slighted our husband, wife or child by giving into our immaturity. Whatever our Soul Injury is, God promises that it will not crush us because God’s forgiveness is greater than any sin.

Lent is that time that we take what AA calls a “moral inventory” and we may term a “soul inventory”. Good Luck! At least you will not have to face the cameras. You will only have to face God and God knows already.

David Johnson