I was recently asked to write a short reflection on being a chaplain at a university during a pandemic. The following is the article, “There’s Something Truly Sacred About the Hive,” for the Lynchburg Magazine.
Being a university chaplain is wonderfully multifaceted. I visit students in the hospital in the middle of the night, lead groups through spiritual practices, connect with other departments for wellness opportunities or events, and serve as a spiritual guide or confidant to those who need a listening ear.
Yet, when the pandemic hit and we moved everything online in March, our roles as chaplains morphed. We were no longer meeting students for coffee or providing pastoral care in person. Instead, we did our best to help our community discover a sense of calm, centeredness, and connection while anxiously working and learning virtually. We offered prayer services, meditations, and weekly check-ins to give our campus a space to process the pandemic’s impact. It was wonderful to see our staff adapt.
We also responded to community members who experienced personal and financial crises. Our office oversees the Lynchburg Cares Fund, which, collected from employee donations and deductions, provides financial assistance in times of crisis to students, faculty, and staff. This fund has been used to help members of our community get food, catch up on mortgage payments, secure a safe apartment, and more.
As the pandemic impacted more areas of life, our office began seeing an increase in requests. In an act of great generosity, then-President Garren transferred a large amount of money into the account. Faculty, staff, and alumni donated incredible sums of money. Within weeks, we had more funds available than in the last five years combined.
Since March, Lynchburg Cares has helped over 135 people, totaling more than $63,000 in financial assistance. Since students returned to campus, we’ve continued to help, purchasing needed textbooks or supplies.
During an anxiety-inducing pandemic, when faculty, staff, and students found themselves with nowhere else to turn, they were able to turn to the University of Lynchburg. When financial pressures weighed so heavily on community members, our community had the privilege of lifting that burden. The relief people expressed as we told them we could help was palpable. People cried and shared how much this meant to their financial, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness.
In my few years at Lynchburg, this has become another example of why so many love this place. Every decision made during the pandemic was for the good, safety, health, and flourishing of its students, faculty, and staff. There isn’t another community and work environment I would want to be in during a pandemic.
Our entire community has put the needs of others first, doing whatever it takes for the Hornet Hive to thrive. There’s no doubt this is a sign of a superior institution, but for me, it’s also a sign that there’s something truly sacred about the University of Lynchburg.
To read more and to see the entire magazine, click here.