On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:19

When Jesus walked into that locked room on the night of his resurrection and declared, “Peace be with you,” he was giving his disciples exactly what they needed for the state of mind they were in after the traumatic past few days. Today, we might describe what Jesus did as Trauma-Informed Care. Jesus met his disciples where they were, and acknowledging the trauma they had witnessed, he assured them that they were not alone.

Whether it’s police officers, firefighters, first responders, or 911 dispatchers, many dedicated Americans work long hours, and often in difficult conditions, to make sure that when someone’s in need, they can help.   Ajit Pai

You might not expect to hear a guy in prison talk about respect and gratitude for police, but that’s what I heard recently. I had asked my study group I to talk about times when they’d felt supported and cared for during a crisis. It was heartbreaking at first to hear many of them relate how they’d had no care or support from their families since they were middle-school age. Then Anthony spoke up.

I watched The Wizard of Oz, once again, for the umpteenth time (and I didn’t hide in my room when the twister came!). I was struck during this viewing at just how quickly Dorothy wanted to go back home to Kansas. For someone who longed for somewhere over the rainbow, she sure wanted to get back to bleak, boring-looking Kansas in a hurry. In Kansas, she felt unheard, maybe even unwanted, while in Oz there were all sorts of creatures who wanted to help her and truly enjoyed her company. Even though Oz seemed to be everything that Dorothy could have wanted, she wanted out. There was no place like home. But she needed the help of others, and she needed to help others in order to get there.

A retired medical doctor was in an accident in which he rolled his truck over in a ditch.

While making chaplain visits at a hospital, the radiator in my car sprung a leak. I had my car towed to a nearby repair shop where the repairman and I had a long and interesting discussion.