Breaking through the silence to listen for the inner being

On Saturday morning (30th November) the news reports were dominated by one news story – that late on Friday evening a police helicopter had crashed late into a crowded city centre pub in Glasgow Scotland.

The reports on the radio were filled with eye witness accounts of the helicopter crashing. But also stories of how people in the pub had helped one another to escape. And how in fact some people had purposely gone to the site of the crash to help out.

Come Sunday morning the news reports told of the work carried out by the emergency services. How they had arrived very quickly on the scene and how they had set about rescuing people who were trapped and treating the injured.

But we learned too that 8 people were known to have been killed (now 9 at the time of writing.) And these include the 2 police officers (PCs Kirsty Nelis and Tony Collins) and the civilian pilot (David Trail) aboard the helicopter.

On Sunday morning I heard an interview with the Reverend Gordon Armstrong, Church of Scotland chaplain to the Fire and Rescue service. He had arrived on the scene about half an hour after the crash. And spent many hours offering comfort and support. He shared with the interviewer (BBC’s Paddy O’Connell) how members of the emergency services need to be able to share what they have experienced.

Mr. Armstrong described how shortly after he arrived a silence descended on the area. In fact a calm, as the emergency services got about their task. Mr. Armstrong said:

“It was as if all there knew where their thoughts were and our thoughts were in the same place”

Paddy O’Connell then asked Mr. Armstrong

“In your job you need to break through the silence”

“Well we do. That’s where we as chaplains come in. We step in and try and break the silence. Sometimes it is met with silence. The thought is ‘It could have been me or someone I know.’ A lot of what we do is listening. Listening for the glimpses of the inner being in all of us.”

I thought Gordon Armstrong expressed the role of a chaplain so well. And those of us involved in chaplaincy will be able to relate exactly to what he said there. I am fortunate in not having been on duty when police officers have had to deal with anything traumatic. Nevertheless, much of my role is about listening and in the listening trying to hear “the glimpses of the inner being”. To distinguish between what is general chit chat or moaning and something more important underlying.

In the conclusion of the interview, Paddy O’Connell commented that Gordon Armstrong was about to set off for morning service on the first Sunday of Advent. “How will you marshal your feelings?”

Gordon Armstrong replied that one of the Advent readings was Matthew 24 speaking about the “Day and hour being unseen.” In other words none of us know what the future holds. The events at the Clutha Vaults bar in Glasgow certainly tie in to that.

I am pleased that the Rev Armstrong’s views have been sought at this time. It is important for serving members of the emergency services and members of the public to learn of the roles of chaplains. Though of course I wish it hadn’t taken a tragedy like this in order for the media to show some interest in chaplains.

My thoughts and prayers of course go out to those who have been injured and to the families and friends of those who were killed. But as a fellow chaplain I pray for Gordon Armstrong and other chaplains and of course for the members of the emergency services having to deal with this tragedy.