Interview with a Spiritual Leader: Pastor Darren D. Thomas - Essay Example

? Interview with a Spiritual Leader Interview with a Spiritual Leader The of talking about death and the possibility of patients transcending into the afterlife is challenging for health care practitioners. The possible reasons include the focus of health care on doing all possible avenues to promote health and to ensure that patients improve their health conditions as immensely possible. However, when all possible interventions have been exhausted, there is the paramount need to communicate issues related to death and dying through the perspectives of palliative care. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual” (WHO, 2012, p. 1). The role and responsibilities of spiritual leader in the palliative care setting is therefore aptly recognized. In this regard, the current discourse aims to provide a summary of findings that relate to interviewing a spiritual leader who is knowledgeable and equipped to address concerns regarding the expectations of people who are dying, requests for final preparations, unusual requests, and how people deal with knowing death is imminent. The spiritual leader interviewed is Pastor Darren D. Thomas of the New Vision Christian Ministries International, which is located at 2117 Industrial Court, Vista, California. Upon exchange of usual greetings and after expressing gratitude for having accommodated me upon short notice, one was apprised by Pastor Thomas that the mission of the New Vision Christian Ministries was actually to firmly establish the kingdom of God within the local community and to reach out to others who are challenged and whose lives could be considered lost and needs to be embraced in the warmth of God’s love. I immediately relayed the purpose of the visit and tried to seek his comments and experiences in counseling people, patients or family members, who have faced death. Accordingly, he was summoned by different people who are members of the ministry to counsel their family members and relatives who are dying. In their deathbeds, he would initially say prayers and provide blessings, which are very similar to providing extreme unction or last rites, and includes prayers for anointment, as needed. Usually, these prayers include asking forgiveness of God for all the sins that were committed by the patient who is gravely ill and commissioning the patient to be released from the bondage of sin and to safely be transcended into eternal life. For patients who could still respond or communicate, Pastor Thomas seeks them to communicate to him some last words that the patients want to relay in communion with God. He then requests the surrounding family members to be united and to join him in prayer. As indicated, it is most convenient to deal with people or family members who know that death is a natural course of life and that it is simple a period of transcendence into eternal life. As such, counseling for patients who are active members of the ministry is fairly lighter and not burdensome; as compared to those who could not accept death to be the next recourse for their loved one. He informed me that he refers to a particular bible verse which emphasize that the scriptures tell us that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Bible, New Testament, 2011, p. 1). What is important is that we have lived a productive and fruitful life and that we have significantly been unselfish contributors to the development and growth of others. Also, to the grieving relatives, Pastor Thomas said that he stresses that they should not grieve but be happy and relieved that their loved one would end all sufferings and pain that was experienced on earth and during the illness. Through death, the patient would actually be freed from sufferings and be transformed into a life of endless bliss with God in heaven. When asked if there were some final preparations or unusual requests, Pastor Thomas noted that the final preparations actually included calling him to provide the final rites and spiritual blessings. Regarding unusual requests, as disclosed, there were none that he encountered so far. He included that as far as his current experiences and observations were involved, he reckoned that people of today’s generation are more discerning and accepting of the fact that death is a natural course of life. The people eventually die and transcend to another dimension: the spiritual dimension through an afterlife or eternal life. Although, most acknowledge that they still believe that spiritual blessings or last rites would assist their dying relatives in transcending safely and easily to the afterlife. For the person who is dying, he also noted and shared that people who are immensely affiliated with a religious group and believe in God are more accepting of death as a phase in life that they have to go through prior to journeying to eternal life. Those who exemplified practicing religious beliefs and traditions that conform to their own cultural norms are more peaceful and accepting of being prepared to die. After being duly blessed and serving their last rites through prayers and extreme unction were observed to die peacefully and be duly accepted by the remaining relatives. Only those who have met accidents and whose lives were seemingly abruptly ended could not accept the impending deaths of loved ones. These relatives regularly seek spiritual counseling that focus on seeking ways to discern how they should continue living without the physical presence of their loved ones whose lives were abruptly taken away from them. Pastor Thomas emphasized that by being continually under the blessing of God through faith and trust in Him, people learn to accept that death is just a temporary transition towards eternal life. One thanked Pastor Thomas profusely for his time and accommodations for the interview. He said that if there is anything else he could be of assistance to, there is no need for anyone to hesitate to ask. At that instant, one recognized that he truly was an exemplary spiritual leader. References Bible, New Testament. (2011). Ecclesiastes 3:1 . Retrieved from http://bible.cc/ecclesiastes/3-1.htm WHO. (2012). WHO definition of Palliative care. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/ Read More