Review of an Article: Practicing Discernment: Pastoral Care in Crisis Situations



Review of an Article: Practicing Discernment: Pastoral Care in Crisis Situations

Introduction

One of the most important responsibilities of a pastor is to provide assistance and care in the time of crisis. This provides that there are various circumstances in which there are different perspectives associated with pastoral care. These pastoral care practices are more required in the crisis situations where there are major disasters, anarchy, social and religious misbelieves, problems associated with death, illness, stress, suffering and in all such type of critical situations, pastoral care and moral assistance of a chaplain or pastor plays a vital role (Worthley, 2013). One of such method of pastoral care involves Practicing Discernment. Landes (2010) analyzed practice of Discernment in Pastoral Care during Crisis Situation. This article highlights the concept and practice of pastoral care in crisis situation especially when a person needs moral support. This article relates the pastoral care practice as an effective and the efficient practice in the practical theology. It correlates pastoral care with practicing discernment by using narratives as an effective tool during crisis situation.

Discussion

Landes begin his article with an example of a woman Ruth, whose husband, James was on ventilator. When the wife was asked to take decision for removing ventilator, which will result in the death of her husband, she was in the state of mental torture (Landes, 2010, p.1). It was not easy for her to take such a decision. She talked to her husband and her final reply were three sentences, “I want to do everything I can. I need to do everything I can. But I don't want James to suffer anymore.” (Landes, 2010, p.1). Landes discussed her mental condition and the crisis in which she began to tell Chaplain, different narratives for her ...