Bettina Scott, Thomas E. Rodgerson, Ph.D.

Loss and Resilience: How can Pastors Care for Hurting People?

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I have noticed in my secular profession as well as in my pastoral care work that people react to trials, tribulations, trouble, trauma, and tragedy in one of two ways.  Some people seem to note the situation, react temporarily, re-group and snap back.   While others note the situation, react negatively, seem to get stuck and snap rather than snapping back.   This group that snaps back is the people who are resilient those who snap lack resilience.  This resilience is something that is within and seemingly is a part of one’s innate character or personality.  Either you have it or you do not.  Counter to my thinking on resilience, the literature indicates that while some people are naturally resilient, others can be taught or trained to be resilient.  Recent research on the brain validates this finding of training the brain and the person per se to be resilient.