WHEN I WAS SICK

Last Sunday, Wendie Brockhaus led us in a discussion about the healthcare system we all interact with. Many people shared their stories of heartache and struggle from the perspective of both patient and healthcare professional.  Wendie opened our night with a poem reflecting on her time as a hospital chaplain, and left us with a lot to think about.  Below is her poem.

“Maundy Thursday” by Wendie Brockhaus

A reflection on receiving Communion on Maundy Thursday while serving as a hospital chaplain

As I approach the broken and poured out Table
Open to all people
I bring with me all those broken and poured out spirits
With whom I have sat at the hospital:
The 26-year old organ donor
The man who died while I prayed with his family at bedside during the Royals playoffs
The actress with pneumonia
The 65 year old whose husband left her and her foster children
The man without his spouse this Holy Week
The cancer patient celebrating her last chemo treatment
The 19 year old whose mother’s suicide left her with several siblings to care for
The 5 year old who will not be there to receive her Easter basket
The staff who clean up the blood and the water
The nurses and doctors who cared for all of them
And the other chaplains who cared for me afterward
I do not come to the Table alone
I do not leave the Table alone!