Turtle Q&A: The Guides – Part Two – Jon Schneider

Part Two: Jon Schneider, Chaplain

What is it like to be with people, daily, who are dying?

Mostly, I feel wonder and intrigue.  I’ve been with so many in this territory, so in some senses I’m a guide and can help them.

Are you ever afraid?

Never scared.  Sometimes burned out.

Is there a different sense of time passing?

We call it “hospital time.”  People go in and out of it.  It’s different than time at home.

What can you do for people who are at this important moment?

Have compassion for them.  Be a presence.  It’s not any words, there are no words to help. Be there. Be with them.

Do people seem aware of what is happening to them?

Some people, you can’t tell what they’re focused on.  They become withdrawn, inward.  Others, you know the saying, “People die as they lived?”  They may be hallucinating, so you go with them. Go with them.  One guy wanted to pack his bags, getting ready to go, packing bags. He was a bus driver!  A woman was afraid, but not of death exactly, but of “Going into the dark tunnel.”  She was agoraphobic, hadn’t been out of her house in years and was afraid of the tunnel.   One boy accidentally shot and killed his brother. What can you say to that kind of trauma?  Nothing. All that matters is that you’re there, and you walk with him at that moment of terror.  And show the same compassion whether it’s sitting with someone through trauma or spiritual delusions.  You don’t really need words; you listen.

Does faith help at these moments?

I don’t know if it matters, in my heart of hearts, if it’s helpful to people.  And there can’t be faith without doubt.  Maybe it’s the nature of the soul to believe there’s got to be something.  I believe there is a great goodness to draw us beyond ourselves.

Jon Schneider spent many years as a Chaplain in a Minneapolis trauma hospital. He has been a Pastor in rural areas and is currently serving as a Pastor to the elderly in nursing and assisted care.