RESILIENCE
A Spiritual Project
By Kirsten Birkett
Latimer Studies. 46 pages. £5.99
ISBN 978 1 906 327 439
I have a good friend in ministry whose wife suddenly died, leaving him with a number of children to raise. Yet in the face of such great loss, he remains eager to return to ministry in the Autumn. Why is it that some people are able to absorb massive shocks whilst others struggle with (seemingly) lesser matters?
This short booklet presents the results of research from a wide range of secular literature on resilience in stressful workplaces (such as policing and medical work). It then seeks to offer practical help in preparing ministers of the gospel to better understand and develop resilience. Although it is structured as a developed literature review, the many nuggets make it well worth the short read.
Roots of resilience
Resilience is usually defined as the ability to (apparently) recover from trauma and stressful events. It is understood to come from a mixture of personality traits and supportive processes. It was encouraging to read how closely the secular research aligns with what the scriptures teach: adversity can lead to strength; hope, optimism and seeing purpose in all things help enormously, as does being part of a community and serving others. In short, the literature affirmed the author’s expectation that taking hold of Christ in the gospel lies at the heart of cultivating resilience amongst ministers.
However, most helpful was the reminder that we also need a strong doctrine of creation and common grace in order to make sense of why different good Christian people respond differently to trauma and stress. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made: personality, biology and health, parenting and childhood experiences, social networks and cultural customs – all appear to shape our levels of resilience.
My friend in ministry daily rejoices in the gospel; yet I rejoice that the Lord has given him both a personality and life experiences that are also developing his resilience.
